For Love and the Game
by YamiRuss
Summary: A brand new school year at Duel Academy always brings new challenges. Cocky freshmen claim dueling titles, romances change, and a sinister duelist lurks in the shadows. Part III of *The Duelist's Spirit*
1. Changes Around Campus

_I suppose we can start with the generic disclaimer. If I owned Yu-Gi-Oh!, there would be a lot more cards named after Final Fantasy summons and Mega Man robots. I'd also be like Pegasus and have a copy of every card ever made because I'm a big collector._

* * *

Chapter 1: Changes Around Campus

"Are you going to keep that?" Matt asked, referring to the caterpillar that settled around Bryan's muzzle during the summer break.

"Don't be jealous," replied his sworn brother. "When you hit puberty, you'll get facial hair, too." A snarky comment considering he was one nineteen-year-old speaking to an eighteen-year-old. Such is the relationship between two guys related by a bond stronger than blood.

Academy Island, home to the famed Duel Academy, was beautiful this time of year. The lush, green trees that blanketed much of the island were just beginning to change colors. The aspen leaves began to show their golden shimmer and the oak leaves just started to turn crimson, all reflecting the autumn's descent on campus. The color change preceded the falling temperature by several weeks thanks to the warm ocean currents carrying warm air to the island through much of the calendar year.

Bryan and Matt caught one of the earliest flights into Kazuki Municipal Airport, the only commercial airport on Academy Island. Academy Island, founded by the world-famous gaming company Kaiba Corp, was originally called home to no one who did not attend or administrate Duel Academy, but as the campus developed from a preparatory school into a full university—maintaining their traditional name in order to hold claim to its established fame—and certain events in the school's history cut students off from emergency outside contact for fleeting periods, the founders of the academy further established a small college town on the island. Kazuki is populated largely by employees of the academy, but many people moved to the island to establish independent businesses and begin a few small businesses; most of those businesses still cater to the academy's needs and rely on Kaiba Corp for the majority of their income, but they are technically independent.

Bryan Knight liked the idea of moving in early because he didn't have to squeeze past people in the halls of the dorm as he moved in. He remembered moving into the Red dorm last year during Freshman Move-in Day; it was not the most pleasant experience for a guy as impatient as he is. People squeezing into the elevator and struggling to carry boxes up the stairs as slowly as humanly possible… No, thanks. Bryan wanted to take his stuff to his already mostly furnished room when there were only six people, maximum, moving in simultaneously.

At six-two and 215 pounds, and with as pretty a face as a young man can get, Bryan rarely had many situations in which he was forced to be patient. He had silky black hair, now accompanied by a full, short-haired beard, and dark, inviting eyes, all capped off by a perfect smile. Despite his preference for getting around quickly, he loved to spend time with people—as long as they weren't boring. That appreciation for crowds first drew him to playing high school football; there he befriended and grew close to Matt along with the other players. He was also drawn to the Duel Monsters card game. Every duel introduced him to a new opponent, and every rematch taught him something about that person's character. That's how Bryan came back to Duel Academy for his sophomore year.

He nearly had to drag his best friend with him last year. Matthew Luther only picked up Duel Monsters late in high school and just managed to win a qualifying tournament before the application deadline. Having grown up in foster care with a father who beat him was both a curse and a blessing for him. If not for Bryan and his only adoptive sister who wasn't satisfied staring at TV all day, Matt might have turned out a lot more misanthropic than he did; Matt's foster parents also lacked the funds, let alone the inclination, to send Matt to any kind of college that wanted money. On the upside, the administrators who evaluate scholarship essays really ate up Matt's story about overcoming adversity to be a football star and earn a 3.8 GPA.

Over the summer break, Matt stayed with Bryan and his mother, vowing never to give his rotten foster father the satisfaction of getting to hit him or boss him around again. Now that he felt like he had a new family and he earned a little money for himself through a few Duel Monsters tournaments, Matt calmed significantly, though he still pulled the occasional prank on his friends. He was not a big guy—being five-eight and 160 pounds let him sneak around without making much noise—but he grew up pretty scrappy. That's what drew him to being a football player in high school. Though he lacked bulk, he was a strong guy capable of tackling just about anybody, especially when he didn't see it coming. Matt once played defensive end, and because of his speed and maneuverability, he was fairly successful at knocking the quarterback flat on the ground. He always wore contacts during sporting events, but Matt opted to wear glasses the rest of the time; he felt they lowered people's defenses around him and made him more approachable.

Bryan and Matt helped one another arrange their rooms in the Blue Mansion. Some time ago, Duel Academy was expanded into a four-year college; the main goal was to produce well-rounded students who were knowledgeable in many fields beyond dueling, socially capable and responsible, and experts in Duel Monsters. Each successful student emerged with a degree in dueling, duel theory, or duel education.

Academy Island was designed like a giant college campus. It consisted of three student residences, a large dining facility, an infirmary, a pavilion, three advanced dueling facilities, an administrative building, a plush residence for the faculty, and two dozen duel terminals designed with holographic technology to render duels three-dimensional. The campus also held a bookstore/card shop, a couple of cafés, a large recreational facility, a health center, and a half dozen academic lecture halls. And the campus was located not too far from Kazuki, that small town that never grew too big in order to protect the students, founded by legendary Kaiba Corp. CEO and Duel King Seto Kaiba.

Earning themselves the top ranks at the end of the last school year also earned Bryan and Matt the upgrade to the top dormitory. Each room was a little bigger than the rooms in the lower class dorms, but these were fully furnished with the highest class of furniture afforded to college students: a queen bed, oak desk, upholstered desk chair, two oak dressers, matching table, five-by-four-foot bookshelf, mini-fridge, and a closet big enough to fit two people inside. Each guy brought a TV to set up, but because Matt most often played host to social gatherings, he got the bigger TV set up on the table, the dart board on the wall, and the moon chairs under the bed for later use. Bryan's room was where they tucked away the Poker/Duel Monsters table and approximately sixty decks of playing cards.

When Bryan's phone began buzzing, he checked the message screen and let out an excited yelp. "Lucy's downstairs and wants to see me."

"I can't imagine why your girlfriend wants to see you," Matt said sarcastically. He didn't take the stairs three at a time like Bryan did to hurry outside, but he did love to show off his ability to carry heavy boxes up the stairs by himself, and so he hurried down to help out.

Lucy was not tall, either—approximately five feet and four inches—but she certainly looked like a big girl to the untrained eye. She would never divulge her weight because of how self-conscious she was; additionally, she wore baggy clothes most of the time to hide the fact that she carried most of her weight in her chest. Lucy never had back problems, but she was a little embarrassed about her appearance; guys were prone to staring and women were prone to jealous insults.

"Hey, baby!" Bryan said, greeting his nine-month girlfriend with a kiss big enough to make Matt wonder if the couple had throat stomata to help them breathe. Obviously Bryan's new moustache didn't bother Lucy much; it gave Bryan a kind of Tom Selleck look. After they disconnected, Bryan immediately grabbed two of Lucy's bags and offered to help her get checked in.

Lucy surprised Matt, however, when she stepped up and gave him a decent hug, as well. A slightly disarmed Matt uttered in reply, "Oh! There that is." He awkwardly returned the hug, then took a clearer look at Lucy. Not only was she tanned from all the time she spent in the sun, she just seemed more comfortable. There was an incident last year in which Matt caught a guy stealing Lucy's underwear and she got all weird around him, but now she seemed unaffected by Matt's appearance—maybe even happy to see him. It made her seem even more beautiful than she already was. She let her brown hair grow out, too, all the way down to her chest.

"How was your trip to Japan?" she asked.

Matt thought about the two weeks he spent with a Japanese family who insisted he practice a number of Japanese traditions with them, including the one Matt was pretty sure was a family-exclusive tradition—the one where Kasumi's older brother challenged Matt to a judo match every single morning. His decision was that any American who was incapable of protecting himself wasn't worthy of dating his sister. Matt lost the judo matches by a long shot. He lost all rights to come within six feet of Kasumi as long as her brother was around.

"My back still hurts."

Lucy let out a low, purring sound, to which Matt just said, "You two have clearly been spending too much time together."

She shrugged, but couldn't hold back a smile. "I guess I can put up with him."

Bryan poked his head out the door and shouted, "Hey, Lazy Freeney! Are you going to get her plastic bin-thing or just stand there all day and gawk?"

"If by _gawk_ you mean 'stare with a stupid look on my face,' then yes, I think I'll do that for a while longer."

College is a time for any person to reinvent himself. And with a second year comes even more changes. For starters, Matt traded in his broken glasses frames for horn-rimmed glasses; he thought they made him look more sophisticated and intelligent, but also gave him a bit of an intimidating edge when he made the right expression with his eyebrows. Most notable about his appearance, however, was that Matt was no longer adorned in a red blazer like he was all last year; he traded it in for a long blue coat. Matt wasn't satisfied with a long-tailed blue jacket most students wore; he wanted a full, navy trench coat. His reasoning was that all the best duelists in history wore coats capable of billowing in the wind, and he considered himself one of the best. He even sewed his yellow "Team OTK" badge on his left shoulder and a yellow "C" on the other. Bryan, on the other hand, maintained his nonconformity by refusing to drop his black, leather jacket. He earned the right to wear it in the previous year, and he didn't want to give it up just because the god cards disappeared after they tried to kill everybody.

The Blue Mansion was set up like a Tetris piece—specifically the one that looks like a triangle without any diagonal lines—with the entrance facing southeast. Despite the size and comparability to a mansion, the building was still primarily a dorm. The building occupied three floors plus a basement. The first thing a person sees after walking into the lobby is an option of four doors to take, not counting the staircase leading to the second floor. To the eastern side of the entrance were the student's lounge, the resident advisor's office, the kitchen and dining hall, and the event room. To the west were six bedrooms, furnished identically to Bryan's and organized in groups of three to a bathroom. In addition to the doors granting entrance and exit to the mansion at the end of each hallway, the middle of the northwestern wall led to a parking lot, generally only occupied by staff and faculty vehicles and an occasional taxi meant to take students anywhere else to hang out.

The second floor held a foyer at the top of the stairs, revealing another staircase to the third floor. A second and third set of stairs were located at the ends of either wing, but none of the staircases was used as often as the elevator, located centrally behind the foyers. Twelve bedrooms were located down the east and west wings, set in groups of three rooms per bathroom. There was one additional bedroom located near the elevator, available only to the building's resident advisor, which is similar to the prefect role Matt had at the freshman dorm but with being responsible for the entire building; that's why the RA's room was bigger and had a personal bathroom.

The third floor had nine more rooms, including Bryan's room. Matt's room was located at the end of the east wing near the tertiary stairs, and Lucy's room was located on the second floor in the east wing closest to the third floor staircase. Bryan figured that meant he had a quick and easy route to get to her room—you know, in case he has a nightmare in the middle of the night…

"When's Kasumi coming in?" Lucy asked Matt.

"She'll be here on Saturday. Two days before classes start is pretty typical, right?"

This particular day being a Friday, Bryan asked, "Why are we here today, then?"

"You agreed to be an orientation guide for the freshmen," Lucy reminded him.

"Oh, right. That's the thing where I'm a frog, right?" Clearly _getting_ to Duel Academy was more important to Bryan than the reason for arriving early.

"First-year orientation guide," Matt clarified. "A FROG. They meet up with groups of freshmen after the opening ceremony and answer questions about the school and tell them what kinds of things to expect in their classes and behavior."

"Then we get to spend tomorrow showing them around Kazuki and around the campus," Lucy finished.

Bryan looked confused, like he was wracking his brain for some piece of knowledge that was just out of reach. "Is this a new program this year?"

"No," Matt said with a chuckle. "We skipped meeting our FROGs last year because we wandered around campus on our own with Cary, remember? That's when I dueled that Shane guy in the Yellow dorm with the ocean deck." He stopped for a second to clarify his comment. "Shane had the ocean deck—not me."

"I remember the duel. I don't remember anything about a FROG." Matt reached into Bryan's inside jacket pocket and pulled out five sheets of paper stapled together. He straightened them, then presented them to Bryan once again for his perusal.

Lucy asked, "Why did he know that was there but you didn't?"

Bryan patted the breast of his jacket and said, "This jacket is thick. Don't judge me." He took a better look at the papers and started to read some of the information out loud.

"Jason Maxim? What kind of proverbial name is that?" Bryan's expression quickly changed. "What do you think are the odds he's related to the guy who owns _Maxim_ magazine?"

"Probably pretty slim," replied Lucy. Bryan moaned an "Aw, man" and asked who in the world is named _Maxim_, anyway.

"Joey Maxim was a boxer," Matt said. "And I'd have an easier time thinking a freshman here is related to _him_ than to the magazine guy."

"Yeah, yeah," Bryan mumbled as he continued to peruse the page. "Look at this. Age, deck theme, physical description… Do I really need all this information about these folks in order to show them around campus?" Lucy just shrugged. Bryan kept reading and seemed even more surprised to see, "_Talent_? What in the world does that mean? Did we have to put a talent on our applications, too?"

Matt nodded. "You put down 'snow angels.'"

"My snow angels are a force to be reckoned with," Bryan admitted proudly. "Check out this poor girl's name: Aurora."

"Last name: Borealis?" Matt suggested.

Bryan huffed and said, "I resent that on the grounds that it is such a stupid and obvious joke and that you didn't let me make it first." Lucy simply continued unpacking her things while Bryan tried to figure out exactly how much work he was expected to do for these freshmen before he just got to sit back and duel them all into early submission.

"Don't get so cocky," Lucy warned him. "Sometimes, freshmen are a lot better than you think they'll be."

"No freshman can beat me," Bryan challenged.

Matt gently reminded him, "I'm sure some of the upperclassmen last year thought that, too, but then we came in and beat a bunch of them. Remember that?"

"Yeah. And now we're _sophomores_," Bryan stressed. "We're _better_ than last year. We're unstoppable. You know… assuming no one else has Exodia or a magic book with access to the Shadow Realm."

"And on that cheerful note," Lucy said, "why don't we go find out if Cary has moved in and head out to the Red dorm? The orientation dinner isn't just for the freshmen, you know. I hear there will be cupcakes."

Bryan and Matt both perked up. "Cupcakes?" Bryan patted Matt on the chest and said, "Let's get going." He headed straight out the door and left resounding thumps behind himself as he went down the stairs three at a time once again.

Matt stared out the door, holding Bryan's FROG notes in his hand. "So are we not going to invite Cary with us then? And I guess I'll just hang on to these for you." He looked at Lucy and felt a need to explain: "He really loves cupcakes."

* * *

_Hey, folks. I hope this was a humorous introduction to my characters for you and you'll all stick around to see what unfolds. This is technically a sequel to my previous stories, but you won't need to read them to know what's going on. Any references to previous events will be explained as if you've never heard of it before. And with a new school year, I want to introduce a lot of new students. For that reason, I'd love to get lots of OCs. I have no idea how ambitious my readers will be, and so I'm giving you all kinds of probes here. You do not need to fill out the entire form to submit a character, but a more developed character is more fun to work with. Be as detailed or as vague as you want and I'll work with what you give me._

Name:  
Basic appearance:  
Distinguishing features:  
Family:Uniform dress:  
Academy major:  
Talent:  
Hobbies:  
Song sung in the shower:  
Deck theme:  
Rarest card:  
Is the character more emotional or logical?  
How does the character see himself/herself?  
How does the character deal with conflict?  
Extras you want to mention:

_For the Deck theme, you do not need to provide a list unless you want to customize your own theme. Generally, something such as "Destiny Heroes" or "Disaster Dragon" or whatever is sufficient. If you want your character to apply for Team One-Turn-Kill or Team Lockdown (or you wish to submit a new team), let me know what the strategy (or theme) is. Regarding the weird things like "talent" and "song"; I might do some kind of student talent show or something (I never really know until I get there), and this information could tell me what your character may be likely to do. You are welcome to give me any kind of customized character description if you have one lying around. Any details you want to give me will make it into the story somehow._

_Thanks for reading. As does everyone on this site, I'd love to hear what you think!  
_


	2. Freshman Orientation

Chapter 2: Freshman Orientation

The Red Dining hall played host to a big dinner every year when the freshmen moved in. Foods were as varied as the cooks and were provided buffet-style for the new students' dining pleasure, mostly because the Red dining budget was the lowest and this was one of the few times a year the freshmen had so many options. Many students also worked in either the kitchen or the dining facility as a way to earn back some of the money they spend on tuition and housing.

First and foremost in terms of purpose, the dinner was a chance for the new students to meet the school's headmaster and the supervising faculty for the Red Dorm. Dr. Corbin West earned a master's in duel theory and a doctorate in cognitive psychology. Although a powerful duelist in his youth, Dr. West's favorite thing about dueling lay in studying the strategies employed by duelists in situations of varying stress and in how they determine such strategies. Kaiba Corp. offered him the position of headmaster because Dr. West authored more than five hundred articles on the cognitive dynamics of dueling and the neural effects of three-dimensional duel technology.

But he was far from an intimidating man to behold. Dr. West was sixty-two years old, a bit overweight, and had thinning gray hair. He was tall, on the other hand, but his intelligence was his most incredible feature. He was the kind of man who seems to be lost half the time, but his brain is really just seven steps ahead of his body. His office was a mess, but it was an organized mess; he never threw anything out, yet he knew where everything was located. He was sometimes difficult to hear lecture—or to talk to in general—which is why he always took an assistant, usually the top-ranked duelist in the Academy.

Roger Baker and Dr. Sasha Kerr were faculty advisors to the male and female first-years, respectively. Baker was recruited by Kaiba Corp. at the rank of sergeant to help train new campus police officers. After a short time, the administrators, drawing upon Baker's dueling record from his youth, offered him a teaching position. Soon enough, he was a tenured professor renowned for his powerful beat down deck and tendency to offer lots of extra credit in class. He was easy to pick out of a crowd because of his size and expression; he was a bulky guy, much of it still muscle, and always wore that kind of half-smile that makes him seem friendly without giving the mistaken impression that he's not watching everything the students do.

Dr. Kerr received her doctorate and master's in social psychology, and she always made an impressive showing when she participated in international dueling tournaments, making her a fairly easy selection for faculty. The students always preferred to talk to her when they had problems because she was friendly and caring, and she was that kind of person who seemed to have all the answers. She also enjoyed conducting research on the dueling students, but whereas Dr. West liked to study the way people make strategies, Dr. Kerr wanted to see how people react socially in varying situations against different kinds of opponents. Her schedule of working with the freshmen, preparing courses, and writing research articles when inspired kept her from dueling as often as the students. She had a rather mousey appearance last year, but this year she was a bit bigger. To the objective observer, she looked like she let herself go a little; to herself, she looked gigantic; and to those in the know, she looked like she was four months pregnant.

Few other faculty members attended the freshman orientation dinner. Those who did were usually the newest adjunct or associate professors. They tended to range widely from fresh graduates who took a job on an island because work is hard to come by and you take the job you get offered all the way to experienced professors who have been trying to years to land a teaching gig at Duel Academy.

Dr. West always started the ceremony with a short speech and a recitation of the basic rules of life at Duel Academy.

"There are _rules_ here?" Bryan asked, feigning surprise.

Lucy smiled amusedly at him, but Cary just rolled her eyes. Cary had a reasonable sense of humor, but hers was a much drier wit, and she was not as big a fan of irony that centered on stupidity and ignorance—Bryan's specialty. It was sometimes a wonder that she could put up with him at all, but she didn't find him all that tough to tolerate during the times he _wasn't_ making bad jokes… plus he's really hot.

And Cary was no rainy day on the basketball court herself. Matt always found it strange that a young lady with Cary's cute face, lush blond hair, and athletic body stayed single for so long. Bryan was pretty sure it had something to do with her "delightful" sense of humor. But regardless of her disliking his jokes, no one could argue Cary's skill in a duel. She traded in her red skirt for a blue one and moved into a room on the second floor of the Blue Mansion, not to mention she managed to complete her collection of rarer cards over her summer of regional tournament victories.

"You have to remember the rules, bro," Matt said. "No drugs or alcohol, be home by curfew, try not to offend people—that one's easier for some of us than for others… Oh! And your favorite: No co-ed sleepovers."

"Oh, yeah." Bryan started to think about what it would be like to live in a dorm again. Last year, he was a member of the Guardian Duelers, a highly selective group of students who used to guard the Egyptian God Cards and the Sacred Beasts before they disappeared from the campus following a series of bizarre events regarding the Shadow Realm. The Guardians, in order to keep the god cards safer—out of sight, out of mind—lived in a separate house a short distance away from the rest of campus. "It was easier when I lived in a house away from prying eyes."

"Don't try to do that here," suggested Kenny. "Trying to break the rules under Dr. Lankford's supervision is just stupid."

Bryan scoffed. "This from the guy wearing _spurs_ on his sneakers."

Everyone looked under the table at Kenny's shoes. Kenneth Stewart was a big fan of westerns—such a big fan that he watched them all the time, wore clothing that made him look a little like a cowboy when he wasn't required to wear the school uniform, and built a deck around a Wild West theme. His favorite cowboy happened to bear his name—Jimmy Stewart—and his favorite movie was _The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence_, a film Bryan agreed was good, but not worth watching eight times per month. Kenny was about five feet, eight inches and weighed 170 pounds, and he had a lanky appearance that was exacerbated by attaching spurs to a tennis shoe. Every now and then, the rowels would rip into the cuffs of Kenny's pants legs, but he didn't care; he would always be ready to ride a horse.

"What? Matt's wearing two shirts."

"Yeah, _that's_ the same," Matt replied sarcastically. It amazed just about everyone that Kenny was smart enough to get into the Blue Mansion as a junior, let alone stay for his senior year.

Dr. West's series of announcements ended, and so Baker got up to explain the rules regarding official duels. If you wish to schedule an official duel with any particular student, fill out a Duel Request form. You can find them at any arena by the ticket booth, or with any faculty member. After you fill it out, it will be sent to the requested. If he or she accepts, the duel will be placed on the calendar. As with all official duels, anyone is allowed to watch.

"You all received maps of the campus that indicate the locations of electronic duel tables. The use of electronic equipment is necessary to log the majority of duels. You are welcome to use your own Duel Disks if you happen to own one, but you must register them before duel information will be transmitted to the campus database. Any electronic duel will go on record. You are welcome, of course, to duel the old-fashioned way at any time and as often as you like, but you will not get official credit for those duels.

"What's the advantage to going on record, you ask? At the end of each semester, the duelists in each class with the highest winning percentage and the highest total of wins will be recognized and awarded prizes."

Matt looked to Cary and asked, "Didn't he give that exact same speech last year?"

"Pretty close," she agreed. "He's probably given it dozens of times. He seems really proud of that rhetorical question. It's a little sad."

Bake had one more announcement before releasing the students to fetch their food. "Lastly, all students are required to participate in the placement exams two weeks from now. You will begin classes on Monday and will have two weeks to learn as much as you can to improve before the placement exams."

The freshman placement exams were always an exciting time. For the freshmen, it was a time to strut their stuff and figure out who was already the best. For the upperclassmen, it was a time to see what kinds of strategies the freshmen employed, find out if any new students would make good additions to existing teams, and in general to determine who will make the strongest opponents.

"I can't wait for the freshman exams," Lucy commented, citing all the aforementioned reasons.

"Bryan can't wait to _eat_," Cary pointed out. Bryan had already left the table and raced a few freshmen to the bistro ahead of the other FROGs.

All the FROGs were blue students because they were considered the best influences on the fresh young minds—many times chronologically _older_ than that of the FROG. Along with the four aforementioned FROGs—Matt wasn't one of them—three more opted to put the experience on their résumés. One such student was Fusayo Yamakawa, Matt's brand new, taller shadow. Fusayo was the next-in-command within the hierarchy of Team OTK, and he made sure he would keep that position by sucking up to Matt at every opportunity. His biggest fear, which he never gave voice to, was that Matt would recruit Bryan to Team OTK and immediately vault him over Fusayo.

"I need to join another team," Bryan commented toward the end of the meal. "I miss the Guardians. Put me on Team OTK."

As Fusayo gasped sharply and held his breath, Matt looked at Bryan crossways and asked, "Do you _have_ a one-turn-kill strategy?"

Bryan realized, "Not so much a _strategy_ as an outline." Fusayo sighed with relief when he realized Matt wouldn't recruit Bryan just because of nepotism. And so Bryan turned to Numbers Harper, the junior leader of Team Lockdown. She was not even five feet tall or a hundred pounds in weight. She was actually smaller than the small-size Duel Academy uniform, which prompted her to adjust the waist on her skirt, but she didn't hem the length; she let the skirt reach her kneecaps. She similarly wore the blue coat open in the front, revealing her sleeveless blouse, even though the coat was loose on her shoulders. Her dark hair curled up and out at the ends in a flip, and she had an Asian character tattooed on her ankle.

"What about recruiting me to Team Lockdown?"

Numbers was a more visually expressive person than the others. When she looked at Bryan, her eyebrows rose and the ends of her mouth curled in a combined amused-confused grin. "Can you even _name_ a lockdown strategy?"

Bryan scoffed with feigned frustration. "Fine. Maybe I'll just start my own team. Heroes United, or the Theme Team, if I choose to go outside just the Elemental Hero theme."

"That sounds like a plan," Cary agreed. "You draw together the constitution and funding, then bring it to the administrators and they'll vote on the suitability of the team."

"That sounds like a lot of work," Bryan commented. "Maybe I'll settle for being the King of Games _independently_."

"_Co_-King of Games," Matt reminded. "When are all of you supposed to go meet up with your freshmen?"

"I've got the schedule for you," Fusayo said eagerly. He almost knocked over his drink forcefully handing Matt a sheet of paper before anyone else could answer for him. After Matt took the paper, Fusayo continued reaching so he could point to the part that took place after dinner, as if Matt didn't know what time it was without help. "See? We're supposed to hang out next to specific landmarks in the room so the freshmen can find us when they finish eating. I'm over by the deli."

Matt put on that smile people use when they want to keep a crazy person from getting crazier. "I see that. Thanks."

Bryan mocked Fusayo by telling Matt, "Maybe he'll carry over you over there if you ask."

Fusayo laughed, recognizing a joke, but not wanting to dismiss the idea in case Matt really _did_ want it. "If only."

Numbers nodded slowly with her eyes wide open. "That's really creepy. I should get going."

Everyone else was of a similar mindset. Matt was supposed to go speak to Dr. West, but when he saw Dr. West talking to one of the adjunct faculty—likely talking about the rationality debate—he figured he had a few minutes. Why not go meet a few of the freshmen? Surely Lucy or Cary wouldn't mind him tagging along. But he definitely _wasn't_ going with Fusayo; he didn't need the freshmen to think Fusayo was an idiot, even though he _was_ whenever Matt was around. Then again, as Bryan waited by the far window, two really cute girls walked in his direction. They could be fun to meet.

"Don't you have other things to do?" Bryan asked his wayward brother.

"Like bring the information sheets you forgot?" He handed Bryan the five sheets of paper with the descriptions—and names—of the freshmen he was supposed to mentor for the evening.

"Oh, yeah. Good call. And I guess the cute girls joining my group had nothing to do with it."

"Of course not. I'm completely spoken for already, even if she does have the ability to break my legs with her thumb."

Bryan huffed. "Just because you're on a diet doesn't mean you can't look at the dessert menu. And I call 'shotgun' on the one with the red highlights in her hair."

He was referring to a five-foot, three-inch and 110-pound girl with shoulder-length, dark hair that had short, red streaks through it. She wore the school uniform exactly as it was intended, albeit: a white jacket with red trim over a red skirt that stopped three inches above her knees. The end of the skirt revealed the strong legs of a runner, which was Matt's personal favorite feature in a woman.

"What? You can't call 'shotgun.'"

Bryan shrugged indignantly. "Why not? Standard shotgun rules: I'm in sight of the girl and I called it."

Matt shook his head. "No. You can't call _shotgun_ on a person, bro."

Bryan narrowed his eyes and thought about this for a moment. "Dibs." Matt scoffed again, and so Bryan said, "I call dibs. See? Now she's mine."

"No, again," Matt argued. "I mean _you_ can't call dibs. You are _also_ spoken for by someone who, in words _you_ used, makes you as happy as having trampoline floors."

"Yeah?" Bryan shrugged again. "I can still admire the artwork."

But in Bryan's case, it was never as simple as finding someone attractive. Yes, he had a history of flirting with every attractive woman he came across, but he always focused on one woman at a time. He didn't move on until he was shot down or dumped, and Lucy certainly hadn't dumped him. That meant…

"Oh, bro… Don't do it. I like Lucy. She's way too awesome."

"Get off my back!"

"This sounds like an intelligent conversation," commented the girl Bryan left for Matt to claim. She was even smaller the first—just lower than five feet and not quite a hundred pounds. She had clear, smooth skin and fairly sharp features. Her hair was almost perfectly straight and a solid shade of platinum blonde; it was cut to chin length in a bob style. Her hair really brought out her eyes—a blue-grey shade, like steel. She also wore the standard Red Dorm uniform, but her skirt was shorter than usual and unlike her cohort, she wore the red jacket with white trim instead of the inverted colors. "I didn't realize the Obelisk dorm let girls wear pants."

Bryan's eyes popped open in response. "Ooo. I like her, too. She's feisty." He noticed the tattoo on the back of her hand; it looked like a flower bud that spouted little hearts down her middle finger, ending with small dots around the fingernail. "Nice tattoo. You must be Princess Zelda." He was making a stupid joke on the fact that her sharp features made her look slightly elfin.

"Clever," she replied dryly, holding her tongue. "Lilian Von."

"Von what?" Bryan further prodded, even though he could see on the sheet that Von was her last name.

"How is that helping?" Matt interrupted. He pushed Bryan aside and extended his hand. "I apologize for him. I'm Matt Luther. It's nice to meet you, Lilian." She graciously shook his hand back and informed him that she preferred to be called Lili.

Lili's friend with the highlights also offered to shake Matt's hand. "Aurora Ruiter."

Matt's eyes lit up when he heard the name and he grinned just a tad. "Oh, yeah. We were jok—" He stopped abruptly and immediately restarted. "We were reading your name earlier."

Aurora rolled her eyes and said, "I'm sure they were funny." She also voiced a preferred nickname. "I like the name Rory. It's less susceptible to jokes."

"Rory Borealis is still on the table," Bryan pointed out.

Rory nodded. "That's why I said _less_ susceptible—not immune."

Three guys joined the group about then. The first introduced himself as Nathan Zislaw. He was a tall guy, right between Bryan and Matt in height, and he had a medium build with a typical amount of muscle; despite his size, he and Matt actually weighed almost the same because of Matt's history on the high school football team. Nathan wore black pants—which was part of the male uniform—a blue T-shirt—which was less common than a black shirt but still not uncommon—and a red trench coat instead of a blazer.

"I thought I had the monopoly on trench coats," Matt commented.

Nathan yawned and shrugged. He looked in Matt's direction when he spoke, but he hardly made real eye contact. "I already had this coat. It was less troublesome to wear one I already own."

"Fair enough." Matt thought he was the only one who earned the trench coat, but in reality, the faculty members were fairly lenient on the dress code as long as the general theme was maintained.

The second student introduced himself as Clinton Ealey, prompting Bryan to suggest he didn't look much like an anguilliform. He did, however, look like a vampire from the _Twilight_ series. His pallor almost made his skin reflect light, but he looked like he could have gone into modeling if he ever got a tan. He had short hair that he gelled up after he bleached it blond. He had a smirk pretty much plastered on his face, and he already expressed an interest in dueling against Bryan and Matt.

"If I beat an Obelisk student, that should pretty well vault me to the top of the ranks," Clinton said.

"Actually, we're top residents of the Blue Mansion," Matt corrected him. "We don't call it Obelisk Blue anymore."

"Why not?"

In lieu of a detailed horror story best saved for later when they had more time, Matt simply replied, "The campus had a rough history with the god cards, so we went back to primary colors."

"That sounds girly," Clinton commented.

Instead of getting offended, Lili replied, "He's right." Rory agreed.

The third male student introduced himself as Carter Jade. He was fairly nondescript except that he shaved his hair down to a buzz cut and was just a little heavier than the other guys. Without any extra hair, it was easy to see he was only five and a half feet tall. He wore a black T-shirt under his red jacket, but then he wore blue jeans instead of the academy's black pants. He had the steadiest voice of the group, he wore thin-framed glasses on his face, and his face was more expressive. He was holding onto a meal replacement bar he picked up at the salad bar.

Matt asked him, "You okay, Carter?"

"Yeah, I'm good," he replied, still looking over the bar. "I'm just trying to figure out why they wouldn't put nougat or anything into this meal bar. I think they used soy. That's like the anti-nougat."

"Ooookay…"

Carter continued, "If nougat and soy ever touched, the universe would explode."

"He could be right," Lili pointed out. "Do you mind if we get started learning about the campus now? I actually have a few questions about the classes I'm taking, like which classes I'll be able to blow off and who has a textbook I can borrow so I don't have to spend another five hundred dollars on top of tuition and meal plans."

Carter further asked, "Do all the chocolate bars here have soy in them?"

"Good focus," Bryan commented. "Let's start with _my_ questions. What kinds of decks do you all use?"

Clint answered, "My deck's theme is ass-kicking. It's worked pretty well so far."

Lili agreed. "I run a deck of mind-your-own-business cards. Incidentally, I play very few of them face-up."

"You afraid I'll try to copy your strategy?" Matt asked. "Or maybe you heard that I have a very limited card vocabulary and by _not_ telling me what cards you play, you hope that you'll always have the edge over me."

"What do you care?" Bryan commented. "Those Cyber Dragons can take down almost anything."

"You use Cyber Dragons?" Rory asked. Matt nodded and said he picked up a few during a tournament last year. Since then, he's decided to keep them. Rory just nodded, slightly impressed that Matt possessed such rare cards.

"What majors are you considering?" Bryan asked everyone. When asked for clarification, he said, "The basics are competitive dueling, duel theory, and duel education. Competitive dueling, which is the major Matt and I chose, is for people who just like to be better than other people. Most of the time, they earn money either by joining a team in the professional league or by winning tournament prize money. It's pretty much the only way to earn the title King of Games."

"I guess that's where I'm going," Clint decided.

Nathan asked, "Is dueling all that goes on here?"

Matt gave him a puzzled look. "It's called _Duel_ Academy. Admittedly we spend a great deal of time weaving sweaters as a front for the fields of weed we grow and harvest behind the main duel arena, but we also practice using our cards from time to time." Rory giggled at the joke.

Nathan sighed. "Fine."

"Let's move on," Bryan suggested. "Duel theory is better for people who would rather watch _other_ people duel. And for people who like to exercise their creativity. My girlfriend is a duel theory major; she wants to design and illustrate new cards."

"That's interesting," Rory commented. "What kinds of prospects are there for that?"

Bryan shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe she'll apply for a job with Kaiba Corp. or Industrial Illusions or something."

"How's that pay?" Lili asked somewhat loudly and abruptly.

Matt and Bryan glanced at one another, already jumping to conclusions about the new student. "It depends," Matt answered. "If you are good at it and your cards get a lot of attention, I imagine you could make a pretty good amount. I suppose it improves your prospects if you can design _and_ draw the cards."

"Education is probably the bottom of the list in terms of money," Bryan suggested. "Teachers and professors make enough to live on, but they definitely don't go purchasing mansions to live in. On the other hand, some people really like to know they're 'molding young minds' and appreciate that feeling of satisfaction more than money." Lili scoffed that idea away.

"It says on these sheets," Matt noted, "that you two," looking at Lili and Rory, "and you two," looking at Carter and Nathan, "are roommates. If they assign the same FROG to roommates, then why do we have five people here? Where's your roommate?"

Clint pointed across the room toward the entrance. "My roommate's over there with the pretty, fat girl." He pointed in Lucy's direction and drew his conclusion about her weight from the fact that she wore an oversized uniform.

Bryan put his hand over his eyes as if to block the sun from his view. "Oh, yeah. She does look pretty fat from here."

Matt groaned and laughed, "Shut up."

* * *

_I wish I could put every new character in this chapter, but I'm afraid that's too much information at one time. Anyone not introduced (or reintroduced) this time will likely get introduced in the next chapter. I also hope to give each character some time to develop, whereas today, only Lili really showed more than one dimension. On that note, I still have room for more characters if someone wants to submit another one. (To Jaden2010; I never heard back from you, but Maxim and Knight submitted a character named Jason a while ago, so I took your character's surname as a first name and took a piece of your username as his surname. I hope you're okay with that.)_

_I'm going to shoot for Saturday updates, but any of you who have ever been outside of the house know that sometimes, things get busier than you expected. I almost missed today (and might have if I insisted on introducing everyone), and so I might have missed a few typos. I'm generally good about catching them as I type, but I'm far from perfect; I appreciate any mistakes you want to bring to my attention._

_I'm pretty sure the next chapter will be the freshman placement exams (where all the freshmen duel one another for ranks)._

_Credits:_  
_Darius....tiramisu19_  
_Jason....Maxim and Knight_  
_Nathan....Mavrik Zero_  
_Hillary....Nodqfan144_  
_Lili....Happy2BMe_  
_Carter....Jaden2010_  
_Everyone else so far....YamiRuss_


	3. The New Kids

Chapter 3: The New Kids

Two weeks of school was enough for the students to deserve a day off. Actually, two _days_ of school was enough depending on who answered the question, but the faculty gave it after two weeks. The third Monday of the fall semester was always designated the Freshman Placement Exams. All students were so encouraged to attend student duels that upperclassmen received the day off; freshmen had to duel all day, but at least they didn't have to attend classes for the day.

Many upperclassmen didn't attend the full day of placement exams. Understandably, some of them wanted to do something constructive—like exercising manual dexterity by playing video games—during their day off. But the more dedicated students wanted to see as much action as they could during the day, and that's what brought Matt to the Yellow Dorm. Before he could go to the Medici building to see the games, he had to meet up with his escort. Access to the dorm was limited to those students whose Academy IDs registered them as Yellow residents, or to students who "piggy-backed" off of other Yellow students on the way in or out of the building. Matt slipped in behind three exiting women before the door shut.

Living on the fifth floor, and not happy about it, was Matt's girlfriend Kasumi Okuyama. She was an auburn-haired, dark-skinned beauty from Japan. She used to be Matt's height before Matt started growing again, leaving her behind at five-foot-six, and she was only twenty pounds lighter because her lean, fairly muscular body. Bryan's favorite feature about Kasumi was her chest; Matt's favorite feature was that she knew Capoeira and could kick his ass easily.

That's what made it so difficult to visit with her in the dorms lately. She was a strong duelist who hated the fact that her boyfriend and her best friend—Cary—made it into the Blue Mansion whereas she got stuck in the Yellow Dorm. Going to Matt's room made her feel like she didn't belong, and having Matt come to her room reminded her that he was a cut above her in dueling ability. A little part of Matt always worried that she was going to snap one day.

The Yellow Dorm was the biggest one by far. It was built to accommodate all the students who were older than their first year and didn't quite measure up to the strict standards Dr. Lankford held for the Blue Mansion. Five floors each contained fifteen double-bedrooms in three five-room wings; each wing shared a bathroom. Each floor had a small kitchen with a microwave, and a fully-equipped kitchen was located on the first floor. The first floor also had a large, carpeted TV lounge, also holding recreational materials such as pool and ping pong. The basement contained a large study lounge, and the laundry facilities were located on the other end of the basement.

Kasumi's room was set up in the typical setting. From the door, the left wall held two closets with a large, six-drawer dresser in between. The far wall had a single window. Directly beside the window was Kasumi's bed, set lengthwise against the wall. Her computer desk sat between her bed and her roommate's bed, which was also parallel to the wall but set in the middle of the room. The roommate's computer desk also sat to the left of her bed, just to the right of the door when Matt walked in. Kasumi wore a sleeveless, white jacket and a short, yellow skirt, plus yellow, knee-length boots. She was tying her hair up in a ponytail. She may hate living in the Yellow Dorm, but yellow was definitely her color.

"Hey, beautiful," he spoke as he stepped through the door.

"Hey, Matt," replied Kasumi's roommate Eldina Bouchles. She was a little shorter than Kasumi, had nice black hair, and her skin had an olive tone to it. She chose the same Academy uniform Kasumi wore: short yellow skirt and white jacket with yellow boots. She wasn't in the same physical shape as Kasumi, but she didn't make a habit out of beating up punching bags and flipping around the quad, either. Going by the nickname Ellie, she was a quiet girl who tended to be very introverted unless she was in a group of close friends.

Ellie happened to feel comfortable around Matt because her boyfriend was Matt's former roommate. Darius Mantzios was older than the average sophomore; not every student was accepted into Duel Academy upon graduation from high school, but the school did not discriminate as long as the applicant met the criteria. Darius was twenty-four years old, and though he was five years older than Ellie, he made up for it by being remarkably mature for a man with his background. Darius grew up quite poor by comparison with other students—he mostly worked with his father in an orchard of citrus trees—and learned to duel after dark. It started as a relaxing activity and grew into a potential career when he discovered that he was the best in his hometown.

Darius was in the room, as well, waiting for Ellie to finish getting ready. Darius wore his yellow blazer undone around the neck, leaving a better view of his black undershirt. Like Kasumi, he wasn't thrilled with being placed in the Yellow Dorm, but he also knew that being miserable wasn't how he wanted to spend his time. Instead, he would practice and apply again for next semester.

Matt just smiled in amusement at Ellie's comment. He stepped up and kissed Kasumi hello, then looked to Darius. "Hey, man. What's up?"

Darius turned his head up and said, "The ceiling?"

Matt laughed, but not because he thought that was funny; English wasn't Darius's first language, and so he had difficulty with American idioms. His vocabulary improved tremendously, but he still sometimes missed the deeper meanings of certain phrases. "I'm a little surprised you haven't learned that one yet."

Darius looked confused. "What did I miss?"

"Nothing, sweetie," Ellie told him.

Matt changed the subject. "It's almost time to register for flag football again," he directed toward Darius, "and without Andy and the other guys, we're short a few players. Any chance you're interested in playing _with_ us this year?"

"I suppose so," Darius agreed. "It will be nice to have your talents helping me instead of scoring points against me."

"Awesome!" Matt said excitedly. "We'll get together after the exams and figure out who we've got available to play. That work for you?"

"It is not much work at all," he replied. "I will try to find you later today."

Kasumi finished setting her hair and looked to Matt with an expression of frustration. "Why are you making me go to this thing again?"

"I'm not making you go. _Cary_ is making you go. I just want you to go because I like being with you, and this is a dueling school, so why skip out on watching a bunch of duels, and you smell _terrific_." Kas lightened up after that comment. Matt always was able to make her smile.

"Fine," she said with extreme sarcasm. "I'll go watch all the freshmen be better than me."

"That's how we get better," Matt assured her.

----------

The Hibiki Center was the site of the freshman placement exams. The center has an old-fashioned, original Industrial Illusions duel stadium underneath the floor—occasionally raised for special occasions—but more importantly, with the floor cleared, six smaller duel stations could be brought in. Each duel station was a five-by-five-foot cube with holographic projectors inside and electronic panels outside that could read duel cards and render them three-dimensional inside the cube. Many freshmen did not own more high-tech dueling equipment, and no student was actually _required_ to own one, and the duel stations were cost and time efficient, hence they were used when a large number of duels were planned.

Spectators could move around the center to get a better view of any specific duel he or she wanted to see, or just sit in the middle of the center and watch all six simultaneous duels on the Jumbotron.

Each freshman was required to complete three duels as part of the exam. The attitudes of the freshmen ranged widely. In the face of the practical exams, most students became nervous; it is one thing to duel against another good duelist, but it is another thing to know someone is grading your performance.

"You guys nervous?" Lucy asked. She kept in touch with the freshman members of her orientation group and made a conscious effort to say "hi" whenever she saw them. Hillary was sitting by the bleachers with Nathan and Carter, two of Bryan's freshmen, and Jason stood nearby with his roommate Clint.

"I'm a little worried about these practical exams," Hillary replied. "How we perform during these duels determines our school rankings. I might run into a bit of bad luck that could ruin my grade before we even get going."

Hillary Delaney was not an overly pessimistic person, but she did realize that dueling has a distinct luck factor involved despite the level of skill a successful duelist can display. She also kept in mind that _everyone_ at the academy is a good duelist, and sometimes you just don't have the cards. Overall, though, Hillary was a cheerful, friendly person and one of Lucy's favorite freshmen. Her most notable feature, however, was the wheelchair she rode wherever she went. As a child, she was diagnosed with spina bifida: essentially, an incomplete development of the spinal cord prior to her birth caused her to become paraplegic. Because of the impairment of sensory function, she was largely unable to walk. She wore a longer skirt than most women because she was always seated, and she happily wore the school uniform as directed.

"Just prepare the same way I did," Bryan suggested. "Watching reruns of _The Honeymooners_ and coming up with funny nicknames for my cards." He held up Elemental Hero Sparkman and said, "He's Lemongrass Honeysuckle." He held up Elemental Hero Burstinatrix and said, "She's Bonfire Jones." Hillary smiled, but her lack of response told Lucy that Bryan's suggestion wasn't a big help to her.

"I wouldn't mind skipping the exams and just taking the lowest rank," Nathan commented. "It's so much quicker and easier."

"Everyone needs a goal," Jason agreed. "Yours is to bring up the rear of the class; mine is to be Number 1." Jason Maxim was taller than his friends and had a slender, fairly muscular build; he had a similar body type to Matt's except without the years of football training. He wore black pants and a red T-shirt with his red blazer lying on his seat in the stands. Jason wasn't a fan of the jacket; he hoped wearing a red shirt would be enough, but Baker informed him that not wearing the uniform during a school duel would result in a point deduction. Despite the lunacy of the rule, Jason agreed to wear his jacket during his duels, but he was against wearing it when not required.

"If we do well today, will we get the chance to duel some of the top-ranked students?" Clint asked. His gaze moved toward Bryan. "Like you?"

"Not immediately," Lucy answered, "but I'll bet a lot of the higher-ranked students will send _you_ duel requests if you show them something impressive here."

"Sounds awesome," Jason replied. He looked over to Carter. "My first duel is against you. You ready for it?"

"I think so," Carter said. "I might still be asleep at the moment, but I _feel_ ready. Let's do it."

"Have fun, you guys," Lucy told them.

Jason and Carter kicked off the festivities in one of the six first-wave duels. They approached a nearby duel station. Each was monitored by a faculty member; Carter and Jason were monitored and graded by one of the academy's new adjunct faculty members.

When Carter saw her, he said, "Hi, Miss Dawkins."

Erica Dawkins was the youngest faculty member by far. She was only one year removed from Duel Academy herself; she obtained her degree in duel education this past May and now attended the academy again as an adjunct faculty member while she worked on her master's degree. She was five-foot-four and 110 pounds with a petite figure, relatively dark skin, and dark hair down to the small of her back. She had thin eyebrows, and distinct dimples formed on her cheeks when she smiled.

As an adjunct faculty member and master's student, Erica wore a black faculty uniform. The jacket was otherwise identical to other faculty jackets, even with the white trim. The only differences between student uniforms and faculty uniforms are as follows: The collar is longer and permanently popped, the cuffs are thicker, and the tails to the jacket are longer. She wore a white undershirt to cover her midriff where the front of the jacket stopped above the skirt, and even though she always questioned the sexual maturity of whoever designed the uniforms, she wore the black, thigh boots with her black skirt.

"Hi, guys," she spoke. "How are you today?"

"Feeling good," Jason said. "I'm ready to show off for Lucy over there."

"You're showing off for Lucy?" Carter asked. "Is that why you're wearing a _small_ T-shirt?" He noted that the shirt Jason wore was originally intended for a person half Jason's size. "I'm surprised you can breathe in that thing. Doesn't the oxygen deprivation get to you when you duel?"

"At least I look good in this shirt. You're stuck wearing a powder blue blouse to cover up your premature pot belly," Jason retorted. Carter wore a light blue polo shirt underneath his red blazer; Jason obviously thought the shade was a little _too_ light.

Carter argued, "It's a polo shirt—not a blouse. And it's sky blue, not powder. _Sky_ blue, like the sky—where there's eagles and jets and lightning. And it's not a blouse!"

"If you say so," Jason mocked. "Let's get this duel underway."

Carter said, "Fine. Who goes first?"

Erica explained, "Usually we have the duelists play a quick game of Rock-Paper-Scissors. If you win, you get to decide if you prefer to go first or second. On three, okay?"

Jason was ready to go, but Carter stopped and asked, "_On_ three? Or three, _then_ go?"

"It's always faster _on_ three," Jason replied. "Come on." He played _paper_ and Carter played _rock_. "Hah! You go first."

He and Carter sat down at each side of the duel station, shuffled and cut one another's decks, then loaded their cards into the machine. During each Draw Phase, or when appropriate cards were played, the duel station would release the deck and allow a player to draw his cards without giving him the ability to look through the deck against the rules. Jason and Carter each drew five cards to begin, then Carter drew a sixth card to begin his first turn.

"Alright, then," Carter said as he looked over his hand. He placed one card from his hand on the electronic plates, and the machine kicked in to read the card and activate the associated display inside the terminal. "I'll play Foolish Burial, which lets me send a monster from my deck to the Graveyard." He pulled a specific card from his deck and watched amusedly as the display showed a tombstone on his side of the field with a single arm sticking out of the dirt and grasping a shovel. "Cool."

"Is this your first time seeing holographic Duel Monsters?" Jason asked somewhat mockingly.

"No. Have you ever seen _Iron Man_ more than once? It can still be cool after the first time." He huffed. "Anyway, I'll summon Junk Synchron (3/1300/500)." His monster card was rendered on the field as a stout, mechanical warrior clad in orange clothing and a white scarf. Suddenly a monster appeared beside the Junk Synchron—one that looked like a pink tank of nitrous with a face and cable-like arms and legs. "When I Normal summon Junk Synchron, I get to summon Nitro Synchron (2/300/0) from my Graveyard."

"That's why you played Foolish Burial," Jason surmised.

"Yeah, exactly." Carter sounded more excited now; he had an excellent opening hand and realized he could make some good plays this way. "Now I can send Junk Synchron to the Graveyard as a Tribute to summon Turret Warrior (5/+2500/2000)." Under normal circumstances, a player may only summon a monster once per turn, but many cards can alter the rule by activating a Special Summon; a player may use as many Special Summons as desired in a turn. "Turret Warrior gains attack equal to the points of the monster I used as a Tribute, but I have a way to make it even stronger; I'm going to tune Nitro Synchron to the Turret Warrior."

Tuning is a specialized form of fusion in which a specific type of monster—called a tuner—fuses with another monster to summon a bigger monster. The appeal to Synchro Summons, as they are called, is that any monsters may be fused together. The only limit on the summoning is that the Synchro monster that is summoned must be of the same level as the two tuning monsters combined. In this example, Nitro Synchron (2) and Turret Warrior (5) can summon a Level 7 monster.

The field showed Nitro Synchron release a cloud of gas that enveloped itself and Turret Warrior. "Now my monsters combine into Nitro Warrior (7/2800/1800)." When the nitrous cloud faded, the resulting monster combination was a hideous, green-skinned demon with two large horns on its head and a propulsion engine for a tail. Carter's deck also beeped as the tank nitrous on the field emptied. "I also get to draw an extra card because Nitro Synchron was used to summon a Nitro Synchro monster."

"Are you done now?" Jason asked.

Carter nodded. "Oh, yeah. I guess you get to play, too, huh?"

"I do. And here's the reason I let you go first; when you have a monster on the field and I don't, I get to summon Blackwing – Sirocco the Dawn (5/2000/900) without a Tribute." Jason's monster was a tall man dressed like a bird, with black feathers on its waist, wings, and tail and blue feathers around its head. "And I'll also use the Spell Card called Double Summon; now I can Normal summon my Blackwing – Elphin the Raven (6/2200/1200) without Tributes because I have another Blackwing monster on the field." His second monster was bulkier than the first and had even darker wings. The headdress he wore resembled the head of a griffin, poised for battle. "Finally, I'll Special Summon Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind (3/1300/400) in defense mode." This monster was smaller than the others; still rather humanoid, it had blue feathers around its body and green feathers on its head.

"That's quite an army of birds you've got there," Carter commented. "I didn't even see you spread the seed."

"Laugh it up, Blousie. Gale's effect activates to cut your Nitro Warrior's attack power in half." Gale began whipping its wings wildly, surrounding Nitro Warrior (-1400) in a whirlwind. "Now Sirocco's effect gives the attack points of all my Blackwing monsters to Elphin (+5500)." When Sirocco let out a high-powered shriek, Elphin's body pumped up. "Now Elphin (5500) will attack Nitro Warrior (1400)." Jason's monster began flapping its wings; it took to the sky, broke into a dive, and tore into Carter's monster with its talons. Before the monster disappeared, a second Blackwing—one with a black-feathered body and a yellow-feathered head with a red crest—also struck the Nitro Warrior. "By discarding Blackwing – Kalut the Moon Shadow, Elphin gains an additional 1400 points." Carter 8000 – 5500 = 2500: Jason 8000.

"That was disconcerting," Carter admitted, "but I think I can start to pull things back. I'll play Monster Reborn on my Nitro Warrior (2800)." A decorative ankh appeared over Carter's field; the hologram showed Nitro Warrior fading in. "That brings my monster back to the field, and with his original attack points, too. Then I'll play Synchro Blast Wave." Nitro Warrior held up its hand and emitted a series of sonic waves that collided with Elphin the Raven and destroyed it. "This Spell destroys one monster on your field if I have a Synchro monster. And as a bonus, Nitro Warrior (+3800) gains 1000 points when I use a Spell card."

"I know how that card works," Jason said, unfazed by the fact that Carter was about to clear his field completely.

"I'll have Nitro Warrior (3800) attack Sirocco (2000)." The green warrior demon engaged the propulsion engine on his tail and plowed into Jason's bird-man. The exhaust fumes forced Gale to switch into attack mode. "When Nitro Warrior destroys a monster, he also switches another monster into attack mode and battles it immediately." Nitro Warrior engaged the propulsion engine again and plowed into Gale, crushing the small bird. Carter 2500: Jason 8000 – 1800 – 2500 = 3700.

"Now we're about even," Carter commented.

"Not for long," Jason assured him. "When I have no cards on the field, I can Special Summon Blackwing – Gust the Adverse Wind (2/900/1400). For my Normal summon, I'll take Blackwing – Blizzard the Far North (2/1300/0)." Gust resembled a man dressed in a bird costume with blue and green feathers on the wings and tail, white feathers on his legs, and green hair showing under his eagle headdress. Blizzard was a small, stout bird with white feathers, colored black at the tips. As soon as Blizzard hit the field, Kalut (3/1400/1000) also reappeared. "Summoning Blizzard lets me Special Summon a Blackwing from the Graveyard, as well."

"And they're all still weaker than my monster," Carter pointed out.

"Not when they tune," Jason replied. Blizzard began flapping its wings, enveloping all three Blackwings in a frosty mist. When the mist subsided, one monster remained: a bird-man with his feathers coated in slick, black armor studded with blue gems and marked by red stripes. "Blackwing Armor Master (7/2500/1500) is one of my most powerful monsters. I think I'll have him attack your monster right now." Blackwing Armor Master thrust his palm into Nitro Warrior's (2800) chest; neither monster was destroyed, but now Nitro Warrior had a blue gem attached to his chest.

Carter narrowed his eyes. "Your monster has an effect that prevents its destruction during battle, right?"

"Yes, and he leaves behind a Wedge Counter any time he attacks. That ends my turn."

"It would have to," Carter agreed. "You have no more cards to play."

"I don't need them," Jason replied.

Carter nodded. "Yeah, I know. Unfortunately, I don't think I drew the cards I need to beat you. I can put one card facedown, but attacking your monster won't even deal any damage, right?"

Jason agreed. "Right. This duel is already over. See, on my turn? I get to remove all the Wedge Counters on the field to reduce your monster's attack points to 0. That means Blackwing Armor Master (2500) is strong enough to suit my needs." The wedge counter on Nitro Warrior's (-0) chest exploded and caused the monster to shrink. Jason's monster thrust his palm into Nitro Warrior's chest again, but this time, the attack destroyed Nitro Warrior. Carter 2500 – 2500 = 0: Jason 3700.

Erica logged Jason as the winner in the duel station. "Looks like we have a winner. But that was a good duel from both of you. Good job, guys."

"Better for some of us than others," Carter admitted. He shook Jason's hand briefly. "I guess you win this round, and you may win the next time we duel, but mark my words: It's not a blouse!"

* * *

_I wanted to put two duels in this chapter, but it takes so long to write sometimes that I would have missed the Saturday deadline. (I had a bit of writer's block this week.) Besides, as much as many of you appreciate long chapters, I don't want to make the chapters too long. Instead, I will continue the placement exams in the next chapter. I plan to have Lili duel with Nathan, meaning I'll give a little more character to each of them._

_I will introduce Mitsuro and Sean as soon as I can. Like last week, I don't want to throw too much information out there at one time and their introductions will fit better later on. I am still accepting OCs because there is always room for more people at Duel Academy. In addition to the earlier information I requested, just include a mention of what grade level you want the character to be (I'm accepting upperclassmen, in other words). If all you want to do is come up with a character who is not necessarily a duelist, I think I'm going to spend more time with the people of Kazuki ("townies" as they are sometimes called by college students).  
_

_Credits:_  
_Darius Mantzios....tiramisu19_  
_Jason Maxim....Maxim and Knight_  
_Nathan Zislaw....Mavrik Zero_  
_Hillary Delaney....Nodqfan144_  
_Lili Von....Happy2BMe_  
_Carter Jade....Jaden2010  
Mitsuro Itachu....Titanic X  
Sean Bivins....DarkVestroia2_  
_Everyone else so far....YamiRuss_


	4. The New Kids, Part II

Chapter 4: The New Kids, Part II

"Why do you keep looking at the board?" Kasumi asked Matt. Every few minutes, it seemed like he stopped in the middle of a sentence to stare at the schedule of upcoming duels.

"I'm looking for someone," he replied. As crowded as the Hibiki Center was, it was difficult to spot someone visually. But knowing he was looking for a freshman, Matt kept his eye on the schedule to see the names scroll by.

"That girl you were telling me about?" There was a clear note of displeasure in Kasumi's voice as she spoke those words.

"Another woman?" Cary repeated sarcastically. "Seriously, Matt. I'd expect this kind of behavior from your taller half; not from you."

Matt made a face at Cary, who was busy scribbling notes about all the orientation duels simultaneously. She'd been at it all morning and wrote notes faster than Matt thought possible. She recently joined the ranks of the school paper and volunteered to cover the orientation duels. A few other reporters were also present to cover other aspects of the orientation, and even though Cary wasn't expected to write about all of the duels, she planned to do so, anyway, just to show how good she was. It was physically impossible for her to do a play-by-play of every single duel, but she was able to write down the final trump cards of every duel to describe the winners.

Matt readied a playful insult and said, "At least I'm not—"

Cary pre-empted his insult by interrupting him and describing her good points. "What? Pretty? Blonde? Eloquent?"

Matt was proud of her ability to pre-empt him, but he didn't want to let her think she'd beaten him, either. "_I'm_ pretty."

"So pretty," Kas agreed and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. With her voice sounding a little less jealous and a little more annoyed, she asked, "Why are you looking for a girl?"

"She asked me to take a look at her deck," he replied. "Simple as that."

"What kind of cards does she run?" Cary asked.

He shrugged. "She wouldn't tell me. I guess she wanted it to be a surprise."

"Maybe Lindsey sold the Dark Magician you gave her," Kas suggested, "and now the new girl has it."

"I doubt it," Matt replied. He took another look at the board and finally saw the name Aurora Ruiter. "There she is. At the fourth duel station." Now that he knew where to look, Matt was able to spot Rory and her roommate moving on the ground in the direction of Duel Station 4. He stood from his seat and excused himself to go say hi.

"I'll come with you," Kas offered. More like _stated_ than offered, really, but she essentially asserted that she was going with him. Matt welcomed the company and a chance to introduce his girlfriend to the new freshman.

Lili actually spotted Matt before Rory did. She pointed him out to her roommate and said, "There's your new boyfriend."

"Shut up," Rory said, but she couldn't hide the excitement behind her smile. As Rory walked up to greet Matt, Lili couldn't help thinking she might have had a skip in her step if the floor were clearer.

"Hey, Rory. Lili," Matt greeted when they closed the gap. "How are you doing, Lil? I haven't seen you since the freshman orientation." He nodded at Rory and said, "I see you every Tuesday and Thursday in Dr. West's class." As Dr. West's assistant, one of Matt's duties was to be a teaching assistant for his class—grading, preparing materials, teaching whenever Dr. West gets otherwise occupied, etc.

"It's good to see you, too," Rory replied with a giggle.

Lili suppressed a mocking comment and instead just said, "We saw your area duel last week against that Bobby Loper guy. It was pretty good. I was impressed."

"Thanks. I'm sorry I missed your earlier duel, Lili. I… was held up."

Kas scoffed and said, "Well, excuse me for not wanting my bangs to dangle right over my eyes." As she said that, Lili was in the process of straightening her hair out of her eyes. She stopped mid-motion and put her hand back down. Kas smirked, then extended her hand and said, "I'm Kasumi."

"Right," Matt remembered. "Kas, this is Rory and Lili, two of the freshmen in Bryan's FROG group. Rory is also in Dr. West's game theory course. This is my girlfriend Kasumi."

Rory shook Kas's hand, but she had to feign a smile to do it. Lili whispered in Rory's ear, "Told ya." To make sure there was no silence for Kas to ask what she just said, Lili quickly followed by asking, "How long have you two been together?"

Matt shrugged. "Not quite a year."

"Eight months," Kasumi clarified while giving Matt a nasty look. "Are you two as excited about the duels today as _he_ was last year?"

"That's hardly possible," Matt assured her. "But I'm sure you two will do well."

"I already have," Lili assured him. "I nailed the written test, and I blew up that guy I dueled in the first round."

Matt made a face and replied, "That sounds a little harsh." Kas smacked him in the arm and told him to shut up.

Rory was busy staring at the necklace Matt wore. It was nothing more elaborate than a string of leather, but it tied around the end of a plastic case for a Duel Monsters card. She reached forward—uninvited, as Kas's expression made clear—and turned the card over so she could see what it was. It had the name Spenta Mainyu.

"What's with the card bling?" she asked him.

Matt looked down at the card he wore as a good luck charm ever since the limitations tournament in Gathas. "This was a gift from the woman who ran an international tournament after I won. I guess she has another one or something because she said she wanted me to keep this one."

"Is that your big trump card?"

He shook his head. "No. I've never played it. Since I got it, the only time it ever left a protective case was to go into this one instead. I wear it as a good luck charm. I guess it works, too, because I haven't lost since I put it on. Except a couple of times during last year's graduation duel, but that was totally different and it improved my rank instead of hurting it."

"Nice," Lili said. She pushed Rory along, mostly as an effort to get the stars out of her roommate's eyes, and said, "Rory needs to get ready to duel, so we'll see you later."

"Are you going to stick around for a while?" Rory called back.

Matt shouted back, "Yeah. We'll get lunch or something." Rory gave him a short smile as Lili shoved her all the way to the appointed duel station. Matt turned back to see Kas giving him a look of disappointment without quite reaching anger. "What?"

She just shook her head slowly. "Nothing."

When the duel began, Rory's opponent started simple: one facedown monster. On her turn, Rory summoned a metallic serpent with a horn on its snout straight to the field; even though it was a level five monster, she could Special Summon it because her opponent had a monster and she had none. It was the Cyber Dragon.

"She's got your cards," Cary noted.

Matt stared at the field wide-eyed. "I guess I know why she's interested in me now."

Late in the morning, the first round of duels was completed and the second round was getting underway. Many students came and went from the Hibiki Center: some to get lunch and others just to do something different for a while. With forty-eight new students participating in three duels throughout the day, seventy-two duels get conducted; it can get pretty old unless the spectator is a real fanatic, or at least has some vested interest in the outcome.

"That was the _longest_ duel I've ever seen," Bryan spoke slowly when Nathan walked away from the duel arena and resumed his position lying horizontally across three seats. Nathan just emerged victoriously from his duel in which he took an average of eighty seconds consideration time before playing any individual card. "Are you sure you know how to play this game?"

"Shut up," Lucy replied and smacked Bryan on the leg. "He won didn't he? I think Nate just likes to take his time and consider every possible consequence before he makes a move. Isn't that right?"

Nathan just shrugged. "I prefer 'Nathan.'"

"Your ability to stay on topic has impressed me," Bryan said sarcastically. He wasn't so sure Nathan didn't take a micro-nap between plays out there. "I can't tell if you're incredibly lucky or if you're that good. I may have to duel you sometime to figure it out."

"Let's just skip it and say you're better," Nathan suggested. He looked like he was ready to doze off at any moment. Not exactly the representative image of a high-class duelist, yet he won his first duel. Unfortunately, he didn't have all that long to relax before his second scheduled duel at the duel station across the center. He was scheduled among the early duelists of the second round, meaning he'd have to push his lunch schedule back some, but at least it would give him lots of time before dueling in Round 3.

"Don't count on such acquiescence from me," Jason told Bryan. His expression was nearly the opposite of Nathan's; he was excited enough to wrestle a bear if one happened to wander into the Hibiki Center. "I'm going to be the best duelist in the school before the year is out."

"Not on paper," Bryan told him, not arguing the idea of who's the better duelist. "Freshmen don't get to have any higher rank than the top of the freshman class."

"I heard about that," Hillary said. "Do you know why the freshmen are so discriminated against?"

Bryan said he had no clue. Lucy suggested, "I think it's a tradition based on the fact that when this was still a three-year preparatory school, the Red Dorm was where they put the students who were on the verge of failing out. They were the students who were either terrible duelists or terrible test-takers."

"That's back when they called it Slifer Red?" Hillary confirmed. "Why did they change the names of the dormitories when they upgraded the school?"

"For a while," Lucy explained, "the Egyptian God Cards and the Sacred Beasts were guarded on this campus. I think it was around the same time Duel Academy grew into a four-year private college that the god cards were brought here. Anyway, with the renovations and all that, they decided to use more generic names for the dorms, I guess as a way to make sure the guardians of Slifer the Sky Dragon and The Winged Dragon of Ra didn't feel like they were inferior."

"That's silly anyway," Clint said. "I always thought Slifer was more powerful than Obelisk. And Ra is just overrated."

"It depends on the duelists," Lucy said. "Some people really know how to make Ra a powerful card, and some people can make Slifer seem more powerful than any of the other gods." What Lucy left out was that she used to be the guardian of Obelisk the Tormentor. She obtained the right to guard it when she was a sophomore, and even though the god cards disappeared after the last school year, her status as a guardian was honored by her holding the third highest rank in the academy.

"What happened to them, anyway?" Carter asked. "I heard something about an epidemic last year. A bunch of students got sick and they thought about closing the school."

Hillary nodded. "I heard the same thing. The rumors said the god cards were responsible. They're supposed to be capable of wreaking all kinds of terror upon a person. I almost didn't want to come here for fear of what could happen."

"The god cards mumbo jumbo is all superstition," Jason replied. "Besides, I could take them all down easily by myself."

Everyone used to think that the god cards were beatable, but so few people ever managed to beat them in a duel. Those talented few who did became the new Guardian Duelers, and many times, they held that position until graduation. Lucy and Bryan were each former Guardians; Bryan held Uria, Lord of Searing Flame before one of the faculty members got a little power hungry and tried to use the power of the god cards to access the Shadow Realm. All the students who got caught in the crossfire ended up in temporary, comatose states.

"It is superstition," Bryan agreed. "But even if there was any magic power there, it's not possible to prove it. The god cards disappeared, probably into the Shadow Realm or caught on fire or something. Anyway, you should be getting ready, Nathan."

Nathan managed to shrug without sitting up. "What's to get ready? I'm not changing my deck. I'll just go out there and duel."

"You know," Lucy told him encouragingly, "one of the reasons they do these placement exams is so you can see your weaknesses as well as your strengths and adjust your deck accordingly as you go along."

"I don't care," he groaned in reply.

Carter looked up at the board and said, "Hey, check it out. You're dueling against Lili!"

"Good. Maybe she'll beat me so badly they'll let me skip the next duel." Nathan finally managed to convince himself to sit up and head back down to the dueling floor and toward the appointed duel station.

Bryan looked at Carter and said, "I have never seen a Duel Academy student so heavily _against_ dueling. Are you sure he didn't get lost on application day? Is he dyslexic?"

"No," Carter replied. "He's just lazy. And I don't think dueling is really what he wants to do. His sister made him come here."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's some vicarious thing because his sister sucks at the game. Or maybe it's some voodoo conspiracy where this island is the source of some magical power and she needs him to be here in order to activate it. Then again, Nathan does think she's a witch, so maybe that one's not so far-fetched."

"Right," Clint replied. "Completely logical." He shook his head and mockingly suggested, "What if we watched a few duels without talking for a while?"

Nathan and Lili met at Duel Station 2 and shook hands as the traditional, respectful greeting. Then they got to meet the newest associate professor of dueling for Duel Academy. At the end of the last school year, Maya Kawamura… _left_… the Academy. Dr. Lankford put himself in charge of finding her replacement to be full-time professor and advisor to the Yellow Dorm residents, and no one could have predicted the woman he found.

Dr. Gabrielle Houtz really stood out in a crowd. She was five feet, ten inches tall and had a nearly perfect figure, plus she wore her yellow faculty jacket open in the front, which already drew enough attention from guys. But that yellow jacket was the only colorful thing about her appearance. Dr. Houtz wore a black dress in lieu of a more traditional uniform underneath her Academy jacket, and her boots were black leather. She wore rosewood-colored lipstick and dyed her shoulder-length hair black before tying it up in a ponytail. She had three visible tattoos: a snake wrapped around her left forearm, a spider web laced her right leg, and some kind of asymmetrical design that extended from her neck down under her dress around her right shoulder. On top of all that, she wore three necklaces and four rings.

Between her two bachelor's and three master's degrees and her Ph.D., Dr. Houtz had degrees in chemistry, psychology, biology, and game theory. As one of the few duelists ever to beat Dr. Lankford in a duel—and perhaps because of it—she was contacted personally with regards to the open faculty position. It took some persuasion, but eventually she agreed to teach at the Academy while continuing to consult for the government on her previous work.

Dr. Houtz, so far, always had a big smile on her face, which was another stark contrast with Dr. Lankford's constant scowl. Hers was a bubbly personality that stemmed from rather extreme extroversion and was exacerbated by her caffeine intake. It was not uncommon for her to have a coffee cup on her at all time, even as she observed the freshman duel exams.

"Hi, guys," she said excitedly. Noticing Nathan's rather lackadaisical demeanor, she asked him, "Why aren't you more excited? This is your chance to show everyone what a great duelist you are!"

"I don't like showing off," Nathan replied. "I'd rather just duel for fun with a friend."

"I'm not wild about this, either," Lili agreed. She couldn't help giving Nathan a dirty look every time she looked his way. It was pretty obvious what she disliked about him; he was lazy and a bit cowardly, and she couldn't stand that. If an opponent wasn't standing tall and boasting about his skill, then he provided little challenge for Lili. "Let's just do this quickly so I can get back to hoping my next opponent will actually be a challenging one."

Nathan looked to Dr. Houtz and said, "See? Neither she nor I really wants to do this. Can I just quit and let her take the win?"

"No way," Dr. Houtz said, still keeping a big grin on her face. "No one quits around here. You accept every challenge that comes your way and you show them who's boss. Now shuffle your decks and let's get this thing going."

As Nathan and Lili exchanged decks to cut and shuffle, Nathan offered, "We can skip the Rock-Paper-Scissors if you want. I don't care who goes first."

Lili scoffed as she took back her deck. "I don't need your charity." She sat down and loaded her deck into the duel station. Then she shot Nathan a second dirty look. "But I like going first, so I will accept your pathetic offer." She drew her opening cards and psyched herself up. Meanwhile, Nathan drew his cards and let out an annoyed sigh.

"I'll start with Shining Angel (4/1400/800)," Lili said. Her field showed a winged man wearing gold bracelets and a white toga. His wings shone with a golden hue. "I'll also set two cards and end my turn."

Nathan pulled a card from his hand. "I'll play Terraforming, which lets me move a Field Spell from my deck to my hand. I pick Brain Research Lab." As a Field Spell, Brain Research Lab changed the appearance of the holographic display. It changed to look like a dark laboratory with gray machines wallpapering the perimeter and a few lights interspersed. The lab was rather drab in color, but that was to make sure everyone could still see the important cards; Shining Angel was the only real source of color. "This card lets me summon an extra time."

"I know what it does!" Lili snapped. She didn't really know, but she had heard of it and knew that if it wasn't a card she remembered, then it couldn't be all that useful. Plus she just wanted Nathan to shut up.

"Okay. I'll summon Pandaborg (4/1700/1400)." Nathan's monster looked just like a metal panda with green and silver metal composing its body. "I'll use Pandaborg as a Tribute to summon Overdrive Teleporter (6/2100/1200)." The effect of Brain Research Lab let Nathan have an extra summon during his turn if he summoned a Psychic-type. The holograms showed Pandaborg's body broken and the scraps thrown into a tube with a brain surrounded by green liquid. A lanky man with purple hair, pale skin, and a pale blue suit emerged from the tube and assumed a position in front of Nathan. The tube showed only the brain at this point, but a Psychic Counter floated nearby; it appeared whenever Nathan used the effect of Brain Research Lab.

"By paying 2000 Life Points," Nathan explained, "Overdrive Teleporter can summon two more monsters from my deck, but Brain Research Lab also lets me take a Psychic Counter instead of paying the Life Points." Overdrive Teleporter began to charge energy into his hands, and two copies of Psychic Commander (3/1400/800) faded in. A UFO-like tank was piloted by a man wearing a green military uniform, but his face was hidden by a metal mask; he also had four eyes shining red behind the visor. Nathan thought over the field for a moment before saying, "I'll have Overdrive Teleporter (2100) attack."

Lili considered her hand when determining which of her traps to activate. Finally she decided, "I can't stop your attack." Overdrive Teleporter blasted the energy from his hands and struck Shining Angel (1400), destroying it. But then the clouds parted overhead and another winged man descended. This one wore a white tunic with gold trim, and his white hair matched his wings in hue. Chaos-End Master (3/1500/1000) could be summoned because Shining Angel's effect summoned another light-attribute monster upon destruction.

"I'll attack with Psychic Commander (1400)," Nathan decided. His move threw Lili off because she thought her monster was stronger. "When a psychic monster battles, Psychic Commander lowers the opponent's attack points if I decrease my Life Points." He input the number 200 into the duel station, and his Life Points and Chaos-End Master's attack points both decreased by the same number.

"I'll play Waboku," Lili quickly countered. Psychic Commander (1400) fired the cannon he drove, but three women cloaked in green robes appeared in front of Chaos-End Master (-1300) and deflected the blast.

"Good move," Nathan admitted. Shining Angel's destruction was necessary to summon Chaos-End Master, and so she waited to use Waboku until she needed it to protect her other monster. "I'll set a card and end my turn." Lili 8000 – 700 = 7300: Nathan 8000 – 200 = 7800.

Lili smiled when she drew. "I'll summon Armageddon Knight (4/1400/1200), and doing so lets me send a dark monster from my deck to the Graveyard." Beside her winged monster appeared a man clad in iron armor, bearing a saber in one arm and a wire shield in the other, wearing aviator goggles over his eyes, and a torn scarf covering his face. The Armageddon Knight swiped his saber across Lili's deck and sent Dark Jeroid straight to the Graveyard.

"Now that I have a dark _and_ a light monster in the Graveyard," Lili continued proudly, "I can remove them both from play to summon Chaos Emperor Dragon – Envoy of the End (8/3000/2500)!" Her new monster was an enormous, green-scaled dragon wearing gold armor around its joints and wings. Its mane shone like a blazing fire as it roared. "Just to avoid your Psychic Commander's effect, I'll use Chaos Emperor Dragon's; I pay 1000 Life Points to destroy every card on the field and in the hands and deal 300 points of damage to you for each."

"Great," Nathan muttered sarcastically. He looked to Dr. Houtz and said, "I can't beat that. Can I quit now?" She simply shook her head and encouraged him to play the cards he's got. "Fine. I'll chain Psychic Rejuvenation. It gives me 1000 Life Points for each psychic monster on my field." A stream of copper energy began to swirl around each of Nathan's monsters. The Chaos Emperor Dragon shone brightly for a moment, and then the energy inside exploded and enveloped the field, including the research laboratory; there was a secondary explosion on Nathan's field when the Psychic Counters were destroyed.

"See?" Dr. Houtz said excitedly. "I knew you had a move to play. That's why you never quit."

"Yeah, yeah," Lili muttered sarcastically. "Nice move. Go ahead." She really had no choice but to end her turn; Chaos Emperor Dragon destroyed all cards. Lili 7300 – 1000 = 6300: Nathan 7800 + 3000 – 3300 – 2000 = 5500.

Nathan drew. "I'll play Teleport." A small teleport pad like out of _Star Trek_ appeared on the field… and nothing else happened.

Lili was frustrated that her turn wasn't more productive. She drew Primal Seed, a Spell that can only be activated when a chaos monster is on the field.

"How annoying," Nathan said regarding the situation. With nothing on the field, he couldn't even quit faster. "I'll summon Doctor Cranium (1/100/100)." His new monster was a short man with purple skin covered by a white lab coat and an off helmet with a dozen light bulbs shining on top. He also had a gorilla thing going where he could touch his toes without bending at the waist. "I guess I'll attack." Doctor Cranium strained his brain as if thinking about a really tough problem, and a small burst of energy spontaneously exploded on Lili's field. Lili 6300 – 100 = 6200: Nathan 5500.

"Wow," Lili mocked. "Big hit there." She scoffed and drew her next card. "I'll remove Chaos-End Master and Armageddon Knight from play to summon Chaos Sorcerer (6/2300/2000) and have it attack." Her monster was a pale man wearing wizard's pants, a wizard's hat, and part of a wizard's mantle, leaving his chest and torso mostly visible. Light energy began shining in his right hand and dark energy in his left. When he placed his hands together, Nathan's monster exploded.

"I guess I'll use his effect," Nathan said. In the spot where Doctor Cranium disappeared, a card lay. Nathan was able to pay Life Points to take a psychic monster from his deck and put it in his hand. Lili 6200: Nathan 5500 – 2200 – 800 = 2500.

Nathan looked back at the field. "I guess I'll activate the Teleporter to Special Summon Master Gig (8/2600/1400)." The teleport pad shone briefly and Nathan's monster faded in. Master Gig had an egg-shaped body with four spout-like cannons. Its head was metallic and expressionless atop its body. "If I pay 1000 Life Points, it can destroy your monster." Master Gig's body began spinning rapidly, its head remaining motionless, and fired blasts of energy from each of the cannons. The energy collided with Chaos Sorcerer and destroyed him. "I guess he'll attack directly now." Master Gig fired its cannons again, this time without spinning. Nathan reluctantly said, "I'll put a card facedown and end my turn." Lili 6200 – 2600 = 3600: Nathan 2500 – 800 – 1000 = 700.

Lili drew her next card and smiled. "I'll summon Reflect Bounder (4/1700/1000)." Her monster resembled a jester with a blue skirt, a red mantle, and mirrors attached to all major points of its body, including a prominent one in the center of the torso.

Nathan groaned. "Great. This duel is just going to take longer now." Lili's monster had the special effect of countering any monster that attacked it by reflecting that monster's attack points as damage to the opponent. In other words, Nathan couldn't attack her monster without losing all his Life Points.

"I'll summon Mind Master (1/100/200)." This new psychic monster was a machine with a hover pad supporting a glass bowl that encased a brain. Two coils, with hands at the ends, spouted from the base of the hover pad. The teal lights on front of the machine resembled a smiling face. Mind Master connected itself to Master Gig and began to drain the fluid around the brain. "I'll tune my monsters together for Hyper Psychic Blaster (9/3000/2500)." Nathan's two monsters faded out, and the monster that faded in was even bigger. Hyper Psychic Blaster resembled a cyborg straight out of _Tron_, with a big plasma gun in place of either hand. Nathan thought about his next move for a moment. In fact, he thought for so long Dr. Houtz thought he might have fallen asleep sitting up. Finally, Nathan said, "I'll end my turn." His monster could help him regain Life Points, but Reflect Bounder's effect would deplete his own first, and he'd lose the duel before the monster battle even finished.

Lili drew and considered her own options. She could keep Reflect Bounder on the field as a stall, but Nathan seemed smart enough not to attack it, and even though psychic monsters tend to mill through Life Points pretty rapidly, they also have a lot of support cards to _increase_ Life Points, and she definitely didn't need that happening. Luckily the card she drew was a tuner, and she had just the monster to take down Nathan's psychic powerhouse.

"Here we go. I'll summon Witch of the Black Rose (4/1700/1200)." Her Reflect Bounder was joined by a small woman with a hidden smile on her face. She had purple hair, a black dress with white ruffles, and a short staff with a blue gem at the end. The Witch (4) pointed her staff at the ground and drew a circle around herself and the Reflect Bounder (4). A pillar of light surrounded them as they began to tune together. "By combining my monsters, I can summon Light End Dragon (8/2600/2100)!" The light faded, and what remained was a serpentine dragon big enough from snout to tail to cover Lili's entire field. Its white scales shone brightly and reflected the light with a prismatic effect. It wore an ornate, golden crown, and its four powerful wings gave it an archangel-like appearance.

"Crap," Nathan uttered.

"Exactly. Light End Dragon (2600) may be weaker than Hyper Psychic Blaster (3000) right now, but when it attacks, Light End Dragon (-2100) can reduce its own points by 500 to reduce Hyper Psychic Blaster's (-1500) points by 1500." Light End Dragon's wings grew brighter as it prepared to strike; the effort seemed to weaken it, but the lights affected Hyper Psychic Blaster even more. Light End Dragon bit into Hyper Psychic Blaster and ripped a huge chunk from it.

Nathan sighed at the field. "Oh, well. I'll use Psi-Curse." His Trap card activated; the remaining bits of Hyper Psychic Blaster sizzled with electricity for a moment, then finally exploded. Many fragments struck Light End Dragon and destroyed it, but a few flew past the monster and struck the holographic representation of Lili's Life Points. "When a psychic monster is destroyed, it destroys the attacking monster and deals damage to you equal to the psychic monster's level times 300." Lili 3600 – 2700 = 900: Nathan 700 – 600 = 100.

Lili let out a frustrated harrumph. After she beat her earlier opponent so easily, she was going to lose to a lazy guy who would have quit if Dr. Houtz had let him. She started second-guessing every move she made, including the decision to use Chaos Emperor Dragon's effect so early. She started whispering to herself, "Please don't draw a monster. Please don't draw a monster…"

Nathan drew his card and scoffed. "It figures. I didn't draw a monster." Just as Lili got excited and realized there was still a chance for victory, Nathan played his card. "Emergency Teleport summons a low-level psychic monster from the deck. I'll pick Krebons (2/1200/400)." His monster appeared from the teleporter already on the field as a machine-like jester wearing purple and gold clothes. Its limbs were disconnected but still moved about the body as if part of the creature. Krebons seemed to be juggling wire versions of _Tetris_ pieces. It hurled a few at Lili as its direct attack and ended the duel. Lili 900 – 1200 = 0: Nathan 100.

Lili scoffed and tried to leave the table without saying anything. Dr. Houtz stopped her and said, "Oh, come on, Lilian. Everyone loses now and then. It's better that it happens early, right? Just think about how you'll be able to improve by the end of the semester." She stared at Lili until she was convinced that the young student sufficiently calmed. "Alright. Now you two shake hands and get some lunch."

As they shook hands—ever so briefly—Nathan said, "I thought you had me there."

Somehow, that wasn't much comfort.

* * *

_Is anyone willing to let his or her character be villainous? I may not use someone that way, but I'm curious how many people would be okay with it if I decide I need a student villain._

_Just for reference, I didn't know who would win that duel. I let them each play out cards according to the personalities I'm trying to establish, and it was pure coincidence that Nathan still had 100 LP after Light End Dragon's attack. Another piece of trivia: The word count on each chapter has increased by 50% since I started including card descriptions instead of effects only. The credits list and my notes will also inflate the word count significantly each week._

_Regarding the characters: I will accept everyone submitted so far. I can't swear to how much "screen" time each will get with the current story I've got, but I will work to make sure everyone gets some time to establish a personality and possibly develop a little bit. Even when I haven't introduced your characters yet, if he or she appears in the credits, I will introduce him or her eventually. One a related note, bear in mind that there are some aspects of _Yu-Gi-Oh! GX_ I prefer not to use. Spirit partners is one example; I just don't see how it helps. Characters may not come out exactly as you planned at times. The only way anyone can be _exactly _as you planned is if you wrote the story._

_On that note, does anyone want to consult on this story? I have the main plot thought out, but with the growing number of characters, I could use someone as a storyboard to help me come up with something for people to do during each chapter. It may also help me come up with more jokes (I'm very much a situational, ironic guy). You can get your name in the opening credits and maybe help me write more amusing chapters._

_The next chapter will feature a duel with Matt because he is one of my main characters and we haven't even seen his new deck yet. Based on this chapter, you might be able to guess who his opponent will be.  
_

_Credits:_  
_Darius Mantzios....tiramisu19_  
_Jason Maxim....Maxim and Knight_  
_Nathan Zislaw....Mavrik Zero_  
_Hillary Delaney....Nodqfan144_  
_Lili Von....Happy2BMe_  
_Carter Jade....Jaden2010  
Mitsuro Itachu....Titanic X  
Sean Bivins....DarkVestroia2_  
_Naoto Kurotsuki....Kurotsuki Haru_  
_Hayley Wilson....TeamRocketDiva_  
_Maikeru Stone....onyxshade7_  
_Everyone else so far....YamiRuss_


	5. The Cyber Showdown

Chapter 5: The Cyber Showdown

Despite the name Duel Academy, no school can possibly become an accredited institution by teaching card games exclusively. In addition to duel-based classes, such as basic and advanced game play courses and card etymology courses, students were required to complete some combination of general education courses, such as the physical sciences and history. The purpose behind general education classes was to produce, upon graduation, knowledgeable, well-rounded students who could be contributing members of society. Most general education courses were grouped into clusters by similarity—humanities, social science, life science, mathematics—and students could choose from the classes within each cluster to complete course requirements. As long as students completed the requirements from each cluster and added enough elective courses to achieve the required number of credits for graduation, it didn't matter when students took each class (with few exceptions). The result was that many classes contained students of many ages and ranks.

The kinesiology class met three times a week. Darius was awfully bored by the lectures; he enjoyed reading what are often considered the great works or American literature, but he oftentimes didn't understand the big deal.

"I did not understand this question," he commented to his roommate Sean Bivins regarding a homework worksheet. "It asks what the green light at the end of the dock represents."

"What's the problem?" Sean asked. He was a fairly tall guy with some muscle on him thanks to playing basketball in high school. He had brown eyes and naturally blond hair, but his family tree was one in which it was common for the men's hair to turn silver early in life; Sean's turned silver before he even finished with puberty. The hair contrasted with his boyish facial features quite a bit, creating that odd paradox where a casual observer would have difficulty guessing his age.

Sean wasn't much of an intellectual. That's not to say he was dumb by any means—certainly he was a skilled enough duelist to attend the top-rated school in the dueling world, and doing so is not something a person can do absentmindedly—but he wasn't much of a contributor to intellectual discussions. On the other hand, the big surprise to Darius was that despite his potential density, Sean was poetic at times.

"Green means 'go,' and Daisy's house by the docks is exactly where Gatsby wants to 'go.'"

Darius still looked confused. "A green light is more visible. It is actually very common for a lighthouse to have a green light, especially on foggy nights."

"This is why nobody likes _The Great Gatsby_," Maikeru Stone suggested. He was another resident from Darius's floor in the Yellow Dorm. He was of average height and fair build, and he colored his hair navy blue. Why, no one was sure, and he never gave a straight answer. It was the kind of dark blue that looked black from a distance or at first glance, but it always gave off a blue sheen in the light. His hair was also noticeable next to his yellow jacket, which he wore zipped about halfway over a black T-shirt and blue jeans.

Maikeru had a tendency to be snide, though he rarely intended it maliciously. He just didn't find the same level of amusement in much of life that others did. "It's just another boring book that someone decided would go good on a list of the 'best literature of all time.' Books are like movies that way; the 'best picture' is one that is so incredibly boring you just want to pull your eyes out."

"_Oedipus Rex_ is next semester," Ivy Roaks suggested. She was a freshman and so adorned in a white academy jacket and a red skirt, but as suggested, it was not uncommon for freshmen and sophomores to share a few general education classes. Ivy was a short, cute redhead with the kind of haircut so short in the back that her bangs were the longest part. When a guy says the first thing notices about a woman is her eyes, he's probably not exaggerating with Ivy; she had a fake, lime-green tattoo in the shape of a star next to her bluish-gray eyes, which were protected by a pair of rectangle frames for her glasses. More of an artist than a duelist, she was constantly doodling new artwork for her favorite cards in the margins of her papers.

She also had a thing for chiming in when she thought Maikeru was getting worked up. It wasn't hard to recognize, especially for an attentive ear like hers. She enjoyed calming those around her and helping to keep some semblance of peace among the student body. Sometimes, all it took was one, well timed, humorous comment.

"I heard my suitemate is going to get to duel against your old roommate," she added to Darius.

"Are you referring to Aurora Ruiter?" Darius asked. Sean chuckled to himself that Aurora is still such a funny name. Maikeru thought it was ridiculous to name your kid something so easy to make fun of.

"When is that?" Sean asked. Darius told him it was scheduled during the area duel this afternoon. Every day from 1:25 to 3:15 was an open block for area duels, a time when official duels were held in an open forum for any students to come by and watch. The location sometimes varied based on the participants, but they were always held in the dueling arenas belonging to one of the dorms.

"I can't believe Matt's going to duel a freshman," Maikeru said. "Why give such an 'honor' to a freshman when he keeps turning down duels from other people?"

Ivy smiled and said, "I heard Rory's got a good chance of winning. Apparently most of Matt's duels are really close; he almost loses a lot."

"_Almost_ only counts in horse pies," Darius replied. This drew baffled looks from the others. "What? Did I say it wrong again?"

"I think you mean horse_shoes_," Sean corrected him. "It's a game. You throw horseshoes and get points based on how close to the stake you get."

"Then why not say 'almost counts in curling?" Darius wondered. It would have been a good point if anyone actually cared about curling. He decided to eschew the idioms and explained simply, "There is a big difference between _almost_ losing and losing."

"You were his roommate for a semester. Is Matt really that good?" Sean asked.

"Not when he makes jokes during a duel with a friend," Darius said, remembering a time when Matt dueled a _for-fun_ game on the table against Cary, and he so insisted on making plays that were funny to the point they were not strategic and he ended up losing the duel; it did not go on his record, however, because they did not use their student IDs or even electronic holograms. "But when he feels his pride is at stake, he becomes remarkably lucky."

"He sounds like a chump," Maikeru muttered.

"You say that about everyone," Ivy pointed out with a smile.

During the same class block, Bryan and Matt took a kinesiology class with several other upperclassmen. This class was only taught every two years in the fall semester—mostly because not a lot of card players want to sign up for a kinesiology class—and so to get that credit, the bros. could either take it this semester or wait for their senior year; they hoped to be done with the general education classes by senior year.

On Mondays and Wednesdays, the class met in the gym, either for specific recreation or general workouts. On Fridays, they met in the classroom for health and wellness lectures. But time in the classroom wasn't always spent discussing class material. As in a typical classroom, students liked to socialize about their own daily minutia before each lecture began while the professor was getting prepared.

"I don't have time," Matt defended himself. "Between working for Dr. West, leading Team OTK, and generally trying to keep Kasumi happy, I'm swamped." He looked to Bryan and said, "I had no idea how hard Dave worked. I'm surprised we ever even saw him."

"Maybe Dave was better at it."

Naoto glared at Matt, refusing to back down. "I just transferred here from another school. I deserve a fair chance at the Number One rank."

Naoto Kurotsuki was a new student at Duel Academy, but he wasn't a freshman. He just transferred during this school year from the Otogi School for the Gaming Arts where he pretty well mastered dueling relative to all his classmates. After he successfully claimed the title from the regional Duel Monsters tournament, he applied for a transfer to Duel Academy and scored so well he was placed directly into the Blue Mansion.

Typically Naoto was quiet and had a contemplative look on his face—the kind of guy who sits in the back of the class half asleep but able to answer all the questions the professor asks of him. Right now, however, he was slightly heated to find out that he couldn't have an early shot at the title because the current title holder was "busy." He knew he was one of the best duelists around—being in the Blue Mansion in his first year was proof of that—but he wanted the rank as a point of pride. It wasn't good enough to be in the top twenty; he wanted Number One.

As mentioned, he was generally quiet, and though he was tall, he wasn't the tallest in the class, and he was fairly lanky to boot. He dyed his hair a dark shade of Prussian blue; it didn't look all that different from black hair except that when he was in the light, his hair gave off a sort of blue glow, much like Maikeru's. His eyes were also a deep blue, almost an exact match for his hair, both of which really stood out next to his rather pale skin. He opted to wear a white jacket with blue trim instead of the more traditional blue jacket in part because it was less common. Naoto didn't really stand out much through his behavior, and so he tried to gain attention through his appearance and his gaming skills.

"And I'm telling you, I don't have time! I have to turn down nearly eighty percent of the duel requests I get. Ask Cary; I hired her as a secretary to sort through them for me."

Cary huffed silently. "_Hired_ me? You give me cookies and PowerAde."

"He also helped you put together that new deck," Bryan pointed out.

Cary had to admit that was true, and that coupled with her friendship to make her do Matt this favor, but she still commented, "I want a raise."

"I'll start stocking string cheese," Matt replied.

Naoto was not happy that his request was constantly denied. He kept fairly quiet and calm about it, but he still wanted the opportunity to advance to the academy's top spot. "The rule for denying requests is a ridiculous one." The rule to which he referred said that any student who receives a duel request from a student of a higher rank must accept the request. Naoto's problem occurred because Matt was currently the top-ranked duelist, meaning he had free reign to accept or deny whatever duels he wanted.

"Duel _me_," Bryan offered, mostly to shut Naoto up.

"Yeah," Matt agreed. "Duel him. I can't beat Bryan, so if you can, you can have my spot."

Naoto huffed. "The faculty would never allow those stakes."

"But you'll get the satisfaction of knowing that you could beat Matt if you dueled him," Kenny commented. "And maybe your beating Bryan would actually inspire Matt to duel with you, too."

"Why would Matt duel me then if he thinks he can't win?"

Matt laughed. "They obviously have a very different work ethic at your other school. I _enjoy_ challenges. And seeing new cards, which is why I'm not interested in dueling against your Exodia deck. I dueled against Dave seven times last year. I know how to handle Exodia."

"But my deck is different," Naoto assured him. "I am much stronger."

"Dave's in a whole other league," Kenny said. "Literally. He's part of the International One-Turn-Kill team. They're like the Harlem Globetrotters of dueling. Just ask Cary; she's his cousin."

Cary looked from Kenny to Naoto to Matt and asked, "Is this a bad time to bring up the duel request you accepted from that freshman?"

Naoto's eyes were suddenly filled with hatred and Matt's were filled with curious fear. "Why?"

Cary shrugged. "Busting your chops for that 'secretary comment."

Matt cracked a grin against his will and uttered, "Fair enough."

Hayley Ann Wilson decided to voice an opinion at that moment. She wandered into the classroom and sat near enough to overhear the conversation. "You denied dueling a Blue to duel with a freshman instead?" Hayley donned a yellow academy jacket; not everyone in this class was a blue resident. Under her jacket, Hayley wore a royal blue shirt with an iron-on image of the Water Dragon, one of the most powerful water-type duel monsters, and white pants one might wear in a karate class. Her black hair reached just past her shoulders, and the ends were dyed blondish-gold and gelled together like spikes. One of the reasons she sat separately from the others was that she was quite attractive, and upon first meeting Bryan, he overwhelmed her with his flirting.

"That's different," Matt insisted. "I've already dueled against a successful Exodia deck. I've not dueled against another cyber deck."

"Don't you and Bryan trade decks and duel one another that way?" Cary asked. Matt shot her a look of exasperation. She simply shrugged and said, "Busting chops."

Matt sighed and explained, "It's different when I'm using a cyber deck against a _second_ cyber deck. I'm _good_ with this deck; I'm _decent_ with the Elemental Heroes."

"Good enough to beat Maya," Kenny reminded him. Matt stressed that _again_, that was different; he has more of a knack for a Neos deck than a more general Elemental Hero deck. Bryan used both, but the Neos deck was the one that defeated the former female Yellow Dorm advisor—the one Dr. Houtz replaced.

"Off topic," Matt admitted with a nod, "but by dueling Rory, I get use my own deck against a similar one." He finally huffed and asked, "Why am I defending a position I'm perfectly justified in making, anyway?"

Bryan was quick to answer with, "Because we fixed you too well in high school and now you hate upsetting people you don't know well." Matt muttered an acceptance of that explanation. "It sucks for those of you _do_ know well, though, because you have no problem screwing us over. Right, Cary?"

"No argument here."

Matt stared at her for a moment before saying lightly and with a sarcastic tone, "You're a good friend." As the professor got everyone ready to start the lecture, Matt finally promised Naoto, "Seriously, dude. If you can beat Bryan in a duel, I'll give you your duel."

His expression shifted from a scowl to his usual Tony Dungy grin. "That's all I ask."

----------

After class, Bryan and Matt figuratively bumped into Rory in the hallway; she had a class in the same building and knew that she might be able to find Matt if she stopped by. Her appearance was slightly different by this point in the semester. She replaced her academy jacket with a crimson, knee-length, woman's duster; it was similar to a thin-layered, unfitted, sleeveless robe that was pulled tight around her chest to show off her figure. Underneath, she wore a black camisole and a skirt that matched her jacket. Maybe Matt had the self-control not to stare, but Bryan had no such reservation.

"Hey, cutie," Bryan said when he saw her. He gave her a small hug. "You here to psych out the competition?"

"No," she said with a giggle. "I just thought I'd say I'm really looking forward to our duel."

"So am I," Matt said. At that moment, his phone began to ring. He took a quick look at it and saw Kasumi's name, so he eagerly answered it, holding up a finger to let Rory know it would be a quick call. "Hey, baby." Rory shifted noticeably when she realized who was on the other end. "Yeah, we just got out. Rory stopped by, I guess to wish me luck on our duel. She says I'm overrated and a pushover."

Rory's expression became indignant. "I did not!" Matt just smiled back at her.

"No, she has a class down the hall and just thought she'd say 'hi.'" Matt paused while Kasumi spoke, an action that became noticeably louder to Bryan and Rory. He sighed through her words, then covered the receiver while he spoke to Rory. "I'm sorry, but this is going to take longer than I thought. She's got some stuff to work through. I'll see you at our duel, though."

"Bye," Rory said with a soft wave as Matt walked away.

Bryan put his arm around her small frame and said, "Cheer up, Borealis. Some women get jealous for no reason." Naoto, who had taken a few extra minutes to speak with a classmate before leaving the room, stepped into the hallway at that moment. Bryan quickly pulled Rory off to the side and said, "Whoa. Better you wait until later to meet that guy."

"Why?"

Bryan's response was a cryptic, "Let's just say he's a kitten who found the catnip sealed inside a childproof bottle."

Rory laughed. "That has got to be the strangest metaphor I've ever heard."

"I got a million of 'em."

----------

Because Matt was a Blue duelist and Dr. Lankford approved it, the area duel between Matt and Rory took place in the Blue Mansion's duel arena, colloquially known as the Tsuji Arena. It was the most elaborate of the area arenas and the only one with an original Industrial Illusions duel stadium underneath the retractable floor. It also had seats that were softer than the rocks the freshmen arena had to sit on.

The area duels weren't as formal as the freshman placement exams. After the supervising faculty member—Dr. Lankford in this case—approved the setup of the duelists and the holographic machinery and gave a _very_ brief introduction to the duel, the worker from the tech center turned everything on and got the duel underway. Fortunately, Rory owned her own Academy Duel Disk already, and so the duel station didn't need to be set up. Matt received his own Next Generation Duel Disk during last year's Limitations Tournament in Gathas.

A Duel Disk is, with few differences between models, a dueling prosthesis that holds five monster plates and six spaces for Spells and Traps—including a Field Spell—as a portable dueling field similar to one found on a bigger station. Two small hologram generators creates holographic illusions of the duel cards during game play. In general the portable holograms were of lower quality than inside the hologram boxes at the electronic duel terminals, but the portable feature made Duel Disks very popular accessories.

The reason some freshmen didn't own personal Duel Disks already is they tend to be fairly expensive. Not prohibitively so, but most commonly, students wait until the second year to purchase one because many reputable retailers give discounts based on dormitory rank; freshmen are strictly limited in the rank they can achieve, and so the price is always highest for them. Matt would have waited until his sophomore year began, too, if his Duel Disk were not a gift from the organizer of the Limitation tournament; that is the same reason his and Bryan's were not Academy Duel Disks.

With everything set, the duelists shuffled one another decks and prepared themselves. Rory beat Matt in a game of rock-paper-scissors with rock over scissors.

"I think I'll take the first turn," Rory decided. "I'll play Hunter Dragon (3/1700/100) and end my turn." Rory's dragon emerged on the field. It was fairly small, but its sleek, gray-scaled body resembled one giant razor blade; its claws were sharp, its tail ended in a scythe-like blade, and even its chin protruded like a bayonet. "Go ahead and make your move."

Matt smiled at her. She was smarter than to summon a monster and leave him unprotected unless she had a specific plan. They each ran the Cyber Dragon in their decks; according to its special ability, the Cyber Dragon could be Special Summoned if the opponent has a monster and the player does not. Rory knew well that Matt was likely to summon a Cyber Dragon on her turn, but if he destroyed her monster, then she could summon one of her own, perhaps. He considered this possibility as he readied his own move.

"I'll use its effect to Special Summon the Cyber Dragon (5/2100/1600) to my field." A metallic serpent slithered onto the field. It was a fairly rotund serpent with yellow eyes and a small horn on its snout. "I know you planned for this move."

Rory smiled as she feigned surprise. "No. I had no idea you used cards like mine."

"You'd be a terrible poker player," Matt commented. "I'll also summon Cyber Phoenix (4/1200/1600)." The new monster resembled a metallic bird with four, sleek, jet-like wings and bladed feathers around its head and tail. As the Cyber Phoenix burst into flame, the flames also engulfed the Cyber Dragon, thereby protecting it from the targeting effects of Spells and Trap cards. "I'll attack your Hunter Dragon (1700) with Cyber Dragon (2100), then attack directly with Cyber Phoenix (1200)." The Cyber Dragon reared back and released a blast of energy that consumed Rory's dragon. The Cyber Phoenix followed by swarming Rory's field with a stream of flame. "I'll set one card and end my turn." Matt 8000: Rory 8000 – 400 – 1200 = 6400.

"Now the field is set for me to summon my _own_ Cyber Dragon (5/2100/1600)," Rory announced. On her field appeared a nearly identical serpent, but whereas Matt's monster had a silver glean to its body, Rory's had a charcoal shade and emitted a deep purple aura around its body.

"That's…" Matt started without certainty as to how he should finish the sentence. "…rather ominous. It's like an evil Cyber Dragon."

Rory giggled. "It does look that way a bit, doesn't it? But it's just a different artwork. I promise I don't have any ulterior motives for this duel." Not everyone believed that, but Matt wasn't the kind to be superstitious about an evil-looking monster card. He was still looking forward to seeing what Rory was going to play.

"Now I'm going to play Future Fusion. By sending monsters from my deck to the Graveyard, I can summon a Fusion monster in two turns." A green-and-white swirl of energy appeared on the field, drawing in two Hunter Dragons, two Twin-Headed Behemoths, and an Exploder Dragon.

"Five dragons?" Matt noted. "What can you fuse with that?"

"You don't know?"

He shook his head. "I'm rather limited in knowing all the cards out there. We only have so much space for memory, and I have to save mine for important stuff." Like prank ideas and lyrics to Weird Al songs.

"Well, you'll find out in two turns, then. For now, I'll attack your Cyber Phoenix (1200)." Rory's Cyber Dragon, coiled like a snake, pounced on Matt's metallic phoenix, but instead of hitting its target, it collided with a scarecrow assembled from scrap metals.

"I'll activate Scrap-Iron Scarecrow," Matt countered. "It not only negates your attack, but I get to set my Trap back on the field to use again later."

Rory simply nodded and smiled to herself. "I'll also set a card facedown." Matt 8000: Rory 6400.

"For my turn, I'll summon Cyber Larva (1/400/600)," a short, metallic worm with a hard shell and a stinger on its tail, "and send all four monsters on the field to the Graveyard."

"Four?" Rory repeated. "But you've only got two. For you to take _my_ Cyber Dragon means you've got a Chimeratech monster."

"Exactly," Matt said, impressed though not surprised by Rory's knowledge of Cyber Dragons. "By sending all machines on the field to the Graveyard, I can summon Chimeratech Fortress Dragon (8/+4000/0)." Matt's new machine was a series of pods large enough to house a Cyber Dragon, all connected like a segmented serpent with a razor-sharp tail at one end and a bird-like beak at the other. Four pods opened and absorbed the two Cyber Dragons, the Cyber Phoenix, and the Cyber Larva; when the pods closed, the Fortress Dragon began to draw energy from the smaller machines. "As I'm sure you know, my new monster gains 1000 points for each machine used in its fusion."

"I do," Rory replied.

"Good. Then let's see you stop its attack." Chimeratech Fortress Dragon opened its beak-like mouth and released a blast of blue plasma energy.

"Gladly. I'll play Call of the Haunted." A series of tombstones appeared at the back of Rory's field, representative of her Graveyard. A small mist rose from the graves and brought Exploder Dragon (3/1000/0) to the field; it was a fairly small, blue dragon carrying a spike-covered egg. "I think I'll revive Exploder Dragon."

"What does that do?"

Rory happily explained, "When it's destroyed in battle, not only does Exploder Dragon self-destruct and destroy your Chimeratech Fortress, but I won't even take any battle damage from the effort. What do you think?"

"I think I should have just dueled Naoto." The fact that Rory's field changed triggered a replay, and Matt's monster was no longer forced to attack. Matt could re-declare the attack, but he opted not to in order to keep his monster on the field. He checked out his hand and said, "Nah. I'm done for now."

----------

Of all the spectators for this particular area duel, Naoto was the least impressed with Matt's performance so far, and Rory wasn't doing much to impress him, either.

"Why should she tell him her card's effects? She should have let him attack and lose his monster."

"This is more interesting," spoke Mitsuro Itachu. Adorned in her blue coat and wearing a green rag around her forehead to keep her short black hair out of her face, Mitsuro was the junior resident advisor for the Blue Mansion. She was a tall, rather strong young woman whose talent on the dueling field earned her the right to be advisor to the other Blue duelists. As a strong-willed young woman, she opted to wear pants instead of a skirt; she didn't really appreciate the way the traditional women's uniform seemed to make every Duel Academy woman a sex symbol. She had a strong sense of honor that brought her to attend as many area duels involving her residents as her schedule would allow. "By helping raise Matt's awareness of the duel, the freshman is making sure she faces the best duelist she can. Why face a half-assed duelist?"

"That's ridiculous. He _is_ a half-assed duelist. Why does a boy who can't remember the effects of half the cards his opponents play get to be highly ranked? If he can't win these duels on his own knowledge and skill, he should lose them all."

Mitsuro looked sideways at Naoto, trying to figure out the source of his anger. "I thought people from Asian cultures were supposed to prioritize harmony over individual achievement."

Naoto huffed. "Chalk it up to this Western influence."

She smiled. "You know the real reason Matt doesn't bother to memorize all those card effects, yet during a duel he tends to strategize pretty effectively?" She motioned with her arm as if she were wearing a Duel Disk. "During a duel, _he can read the cards_."

Naoto harrumphed. "Waste of time."

"Just shut up and watch the duel."

----------

"If you're going to summon one of the rarest Cyber Monsters," Rory decided, "then I will, too. I'll summon Cyberdark Edge (4/800/800)!" The steely gray monster that appeared on Rory's side of the field resembled a metallic, winged insect with a few buds for feet and several lightweight blades for wings. It dropped to the ground near Rory's Call of the Haunted card and took flight again with the Hunter Dragon attached to its belly.

"That's pretty cool," Matt said. "What else does it do?"

Rory giggled. "For starters, Cyberdark Edge (+2500) gains the attack points of the dragon I equipped to it. And next, I can cut its power in half to attack you directly." Cyberdark Edge folded its body into a sleeker shape, then slid right past the Fortress Dragon and struck Matt.

"That was pretty cool," Matt admitted. Noting the blades on the end of Rory's monster, he added, "Good thing these are holograms."

Rory looked surprised. "Why didn't you use your Trap card to stop me?"

"Are you nuts? And leave my Fortress Dragon open for an attack from that ridiculous Exploder Dragon? No, thanks." See? Matt's _forte_ was strategy, even if his _piano_ was memorized card effects.

"Good move, I suppose," Rory admitted. "I'll place a card facedown and end my turn."

Matt drew and immediately formed a plan. "Here we go. I'll summon Jade Knight (4/1000/1800) to my field." Despite the name, Jade Knight was actually a white jet-plane straight out of the _Gradius Gaiden_ video game. Its weaponry was colored jade, however. "I think I'll have my Jade Knight (1000) attack your Exploder Dragon (1000)." The cannons on top of the Jade Knight fired four beams of energy in a spray; the blasts all changed direction and converged on Exploder Dragon simultaneously. Exploder Dragon dropped the egg it was carrying, which caused a secondary explosion. Jade Knight's weapons cracked, and the entire plane fell apart, leaving behind a card in its wreckage.

"You got rid of my big defense monster," Rory said, pretending to be hurt. Her gravesite disappeared as well when Call of the Haunted went to the Graveyard.

"I did," Matt agreed. "And because our monsters had the same attack power, they were both destroyed by battle and not by your monster's effect. That means I get to take a Level 4 light-attribute machine from my deck and put it in my hand."

Rory noted. "That effect is awfully specific."

"Yeah, maybe," Matt agreed, "but at least this deck has a few. I pick Cyber Dragon Zwei." He put the card in his hand and looked back to the field. "Now I'll have Chimeratech Fortress Dragon (4000) attack your Cyberdark Edge (2500)." The Fortress Dragon charged and released a blue beam of electricity that collided with the Cyberdark Edge and dislodged the Hunter Dragon, destroying it a second time. But the Cyberdark machine remained… "Hey, why didn't your monster get destroyed?"

"That's the beauty of equipping a dragon," Rory told him. "When my Cyberdark Edge (-800) would be destroyed, I destroy the equipped dragon instead and keep my machine. Of course, its points go lower again, but I'm okay with that for now."

Matt laughed. "That doesn't sound good. And next turn your Future Fusion takes effect. I guess I'd better get ready for it." Matt 8000: Rory 6400 – 1500 = 4900.

Right after Rory drew her card, her field filled nearly completely with the body of a golden dragon. As if its massive torso wasn't impressive enough, five heads sprouted from its neck, each of a different element from fire, water, wind, earth, and dark. "This is my Five-Headed Dragon (12/5000/5000)."

"I see that," Matt replied. "That's an impressive monster. Does it have any abilities, or is having godly attack power all it needs?"

"You can't destroy it with fire, water, wind, earth, or dark monsters."

Matt smiled. "Thanks. I guess I'll need my Cyber End Dragon."

"That might do it," Rory agreed with a nod. "Of course, I'm not going to make it easy for you. I'll activate my facedown Crush Card Virus." After Rory's Trap resolved, her Cyberdark Edge corroded and exploded, spreading a light mist of pathogens over Matt's monsters. Chimeratech Fortress Dragon corroded identically and fell apart. "I can Tribute a monster with fewer than 1000 attack points to destroy every one of your monsters with 1500 points or more."

"Wow," Matt uttered. "And nice use of _fewer_."

Rory approached Matt's position on the field, giving him a seductive look the whole way. She stopped in front of him and just smiled for a moment while Matt wondered if he had something stuck in his teeth. Finally, Rory held out one of her hands as if taking something.

"The effect applies to your hand, too. Show me."

Matt turned his hand around and asked, "You get to take monsters from my hand, too?"

"I already know about Cyber Dragon Zwei," Rory said as she pulled the card from Matt's hand and he inserted it in the Graveyard. "One of the bonuses to my Trap is I get to see what kind of strategy you might be planning." Matt also held Dandylion, Cyber Laser Dragon, Megamorph, and Winged Kuriboh. "What a gyp," Rory complained. "You only lose two cards from my Trap's effect.

"I have a lot of low-power monsters," Matt replied.

The fact that Rory remained on Matt's side of the field a little longer than she needed to did not go unnoticed. Kasumi was silently fuming in the stands. She was thinking of items she might be able to throw from her current position when Rory finally walked back to her side of the field and continued the duel.

"For the next three turns," Rory added, "any monsters you draw with 1500 points or more will also be destroyed." Matt sarcastically told her how excited he was to hear that. "Now I'll summon Magna Drago (2/1400/600)." Her new dragon had red scales, bulky and pointed like rocks. Its wings looked torn like the worn tails on a coat that's too big for the wearer, and its empty eyes gave an especially ominous stare. "Now my Five-Headed Dragon (5000) will attack you directly."

All five heads of the mammoth beast released a blast of energy corresponding to the element of the specific head. Just before the five beams collided with Matt, a bare-bones scarecrow constructed from pieces of scrap metal popped up and intercepted the attack.

"Luckily, I still have my Scrap-Iron Scarecrow to protect me," Matt commented. When the energy blasts faded, his scarecrow reset itself on the field.

"But you can only use it once per turn," Rory added, "and I've got a second monster to attack with." Magna Drago flew forward and bit directly into Matt's Life Points. After it did, it grew slightly in size and gained 200 attack points per its special ability. "I'll set a card and end my turn." Matt 8000 – 1400 = 6600: Rory 4900.

Matt showed a smile of amusement when he drew and sent his card straight to the Graveyard. "Rotten time to draw a Cyber Dragon," he commented dryly. "I guess I'll set a monster and end my turn."

"Aw. You can't handle the Five-Headed Dragon?"

"Give me a minute," he requested. "I was unprepared for that Crush Card."

"I see. Well, prepare for this; Mystical Space Typhoon will destroy your facedown Scrap-Iron Scarecrow." A swirling typhoon encompassed Matt's Trap card, and a bolt of lightning struck and destroyed it. "Now I'll attack with Magna Drago (+1600)." The red dragon flew forward again and bit into Matt's facedown Dandylion (3/300/300), a small monster who resembled its namesake with petals around the neck like a mane, fronds for arms, and roots for feet. When the monster disappeared, it left behind two seeds with expanded parachutes (like from a full parachute ball, or a dried dandelion).

"Now I have two Fluff Tokens (1/0/0) to defend me," Matt reminded her.

She knew, but she sent her Five-Headed Dragon (5000) to wipe out one of the Tokens, commenting that a monster that powerful ought to be able to destroy them both with one attack. Matt was just glad it couldn't.

Matt crossed his fingers as he drew, then said, "Ooo! I know Pot of Greed isn't affected by the Crush Card."

"The cards you draw might be," Rory gently reminded him.

Luckily, Matt's cards were not high-powered monsters. "Nope. We're good. I'll set another card and summon Winged Kuriboh (1/300/200)." As its name suggests, Matt's monster was a small, brown puffball with wings sprouting from its back.

"I wonder what strategy you could possibly have ready," she said sarcastically. "When Winged Kuriboh goes to the Graveyard, you take no damage this turn. I can still destroy your monster, though."

"Not this time. I'll activate Transcendent Wings." An angelic spirit appeared behind Matt's monster, and Winged Kuriboh's wings grew bigger and brighter. Following a bright flash of light, Winged Kuriboh was now coated with golden armor shaped like a dragon, complete with a tail of gold, two tails of skin, and a tail of feathers and wings large enough to support the extra weight. "This evolves Winged Kuriboh into Winged Kuriboh LV 10 (10/300/200). And during your attack, when I Tribute Winged Kuriboh LV10, all your monsters are destroyed and you take damage equal to their combined attack power." The armored fur ball focused all its energy and then exploded; the shockwaves destroyed both of Rory's monsters.

"You honestly think I didn't know that was coming?" Rory asked. "I did _see_ the Winged Kuriboh in your hand, you know. That's why I set Nature's Reflection." A giant, gray monolith straight out of _2001: A Space Odyssey_ appeared on the field. It began to absorb the energy from the shockwaves, but the monolith was cracked and the absorption process was corrupted. "Instead of my taking the damage, this Trap causes _you_ to take the damage instead." The monolith opened up one more crack, and all the energy it absorbed came pouring out onto Matt's side of the field.

Matt was so taken aback by this move that he forgot himself and used a word that, for the sake of the reader, we will replace with the word, "Shampoo."

Rory pretended to be offended by this word. She gave him a coy, dirty look and said, "I'll set a monster and end my turn." Matt 6600 – 6400 = 200: Rory 4900. (If you're curious why Matt still has Life Points when the attack power of Rory's monsters summed to 6600, remember that Winged Kuriboh's effect deals damage equal to the _original_ points of each monster, and Magna Drago's points started at 1400, not 1600.)

Matt drew and scoffed at his hand. "I'll summon Cyber Valley (1/0/0)." Cyber Valley was a metal serpent, much smaller than the Cyber Dragon; it had many spikes along its body and no obvious eyes in its head. "Using its second effect, I'll remove it and my other Fluff Token from play to draw two more cards."

"Are you actually going to let me beat you?" Rory asked. When Matt didn't reply, she realized Matt must have underestimated her by a long shot.

"I'll set a card and end my turn."

Rory was a little disappointed; she actually expected to lose this duel. "I'll summon Cyberdark Keel (3/800/800), and I'll equip it with a Hunter Dragon from my Graveyard." Rory's new machine was a pitch-black, serpentine machine that wrapped itself around the bladed body of the Hunter Dragon to increase its own power. "I'll attack directly with the Cyberdark Keel (+2500)."

"I'll play Return from the Different Dimension." The air over Matt's field ripped open as if reaching into another realm of existence. "I pay half my LP and get to Special Summon my Cyber Valley (0) back to the field."

Rory smiled. "All I have to do is scratch your Life Points to end the duel." She sent her monster to attack.

"I know, but by removing Cyber Valley from play again, I get to draw another card and end your Battle Phase without an attack."

Rory smirked. "I admire your tenacity, that's for sure. I guess you just earned yourself a free turn." Matt 200 – 100 = 100: Rory 4900.

"Yippy skippy," Matt replied sarcastically. More important to him was the fact that now he had three cards, and he thought he might finally have figured out something to do with them. "I'll play Overload Fusion, and by removing all my machines in the Graveyard from play, I get to fuse them together." Seven machine monsters in his Graveyard were caught in an explosion, and the heat of the explosion caused them to fuse. The result was a serpentine body that had a body like a splitter, with seven holes for Cyber Dragon-like heads to emerge. "Now you get to deal with my Chimeratech Overdragon (9/+5600/+5600)."

"Two Chimeratech dragons in one duel," Rory said. "I'm honored."

"Well, this one only gets 800 points per fusion material monster instead of 1000, but it also gets to attack as many times as the number of monsters used to summon it." Quietly and quickly he added, "Except he… can't attack directly if he destroys a monster first." He cleared his throat quickly and said, purposefully sounding pathetic and making his voice crack, "Attack!" His monster snapped forward with one head and rent the Hunter Dragon from Cyberdark Keel's (2500) grasp. "And now, it gets to attack again!" Hunter Dragon took the initial hit for Cyberdark Keel (-800), but the dark machine remained on the field, unprotected from the next attack as Chimeratech Overdragon (5600) bit into Cyberdark Keel again. Matt 100: Rory 4900 – 3100 – 4800 = 0.

Rory said she expected to lose this duel, but she still looked surprised when her Life Point counter hit zero first. "Aw, man. I can't believe I lost."

After the holograms faded, Matt stepped up to shake Rory's hand. "What do you mean?"

"At first I thought you'd win, but when I hit you so hard with that Trap, I thought I'd pull it off. I honestly forgot about the possibility of Overload Fusion."

Matt shrugged. "That's part of my strategy. It's a way to psych you out."

"Is it really?" Rory asked with doe-eyed naïveté.

"No!" Matt laughed. "That was pure luck. There's no such thing as an unbeatable duelist."

* * *

_Good grief, that was longer than I intended. I know it seems like I could shorten everything by implementing the 4000-LP Rule, but the problem I have with that is that it requires so much more "specific card drawing" in order to make sure the right character wins. Having the extra 4000 LP leaves more room for realism and big hits._

_I think I've introduced all the characters now. I expect a few chapters in the future will skip the duel just to have enough room for growth among the many characters--or maybe have a few shorter duels. I think the next chapter will focus on Bryan and Lucy. I won't swear to it, though, because things change sometimes._

_Credits:_  
_Darius Mantzios....tiramisu19_  
_Jason Maxim....Maxim and Knight_  
_Nathan Zislaw....Mavrik Zero_  
_Hillary Delaney....Nodqfan144_  
_Lili Von....Happy2BMe_  
_Carter Jade....Jaden2010  
Mitsuro Itachu....Titanic X  
Sean Bivins....DarkVestroia2_  
_Naoto Kurotsuki....Kurotsuki Haru_  
_Hayley Wilson....TeamRocketDiva_  
_Maikeru Stone....onyxshade7_  
_Everyone else so far....YamiRuss_


	6. A Plan in Action

Chapter 6: A Plan in Action

The Tsuji Arena wasn't often home to area duels between residents of the Blue Mansion. Perhaps because of traditional prejudices between dorms or perhaps because of the prestige of simply being accepted into the highest level of the academy, the students in the Blue Mansion held a certain level of respect for one another to the point they rarely held official duels between them; why hurt each other's dueling records when they can use semester exams to improve their individual ranks and target the lowerclassmen in the meantime?

But Naoto Kurotsuki was new to the academy, and as a senior, he knew he needed to climb the ladder as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, he couldn't seem to reach the top rung, and the one right below it slipped just out of his grasp. For now, he'd have to settle for claiming the Number 3 spot from Lucy Mercer.

"I'll start by playing Terraforming," Lucy declared. As she placed her Spell card into her Academy Duel Disk, the holographic field showed the planet Mars in the sky; a small burst of energy ignited in one spot and began to spread, slowly turning the planet into a facsimile of Earth. "This card lets me take any Field Spell from my deck and put it into my hand."

"I know what it does," Naoto huffed.

Lucy chuckled and apologized. "Sorry. I'm used to dueling with Bryan and Matt, and they always say the effects of the cards when they play. It's a force of habit. I didn't mean to offend you."

Lucy's apology caused Naoto to blush ever so slightly, but rather than start a circle of apologies or let her know that he felt a little like a heel, he just remained quiet through the rest of her turn.

"I'll play Magical Citadel of Endymion, the same Field Spell I took from the deck." As a field spell, the holographic effect covered the field. A large, decorative castle with a mighty keep in the center and empty towers at each juncture appeared on Lucy's side of the field, but the wall that surrounded the castle extended to Naoto's side. A ring of magical energy continued to surround the castle like a bubble. "I'll also summon Alchemist of Black Spells (4/1200/1800)." Her monster was a man wearing an elaborate black outfit, carrying a book of spells in his left hand and creating spell counters by focusing energy into his right. "Once per turn, I can shift my monster from attack to defense mode and put a spell counter on my Magical Citadel." The energy from her alchemist's hand was attracted to the citadel like a magnet and filled one of the empty towers.

Naoto huffed. He knew Lucy played a spell counter deck, and that meant her turns were going to be twice as long as any of his.

"Finally, I'll set one card and play Spell Power Grasp." Her alchemist generated another spell counter in his hand and sent it to the Magical Citadel; in addition, the very activation of a Spell card filled another tower with a third spell counter. "This gives me a free spell counter and I get to search the deck for another copy of the same card, and my Magical Citadel gets a spell counter anytime a spell card is activated. That will end my turn."

"About time," Naoto said dryly. He drew his card and wasted no time making his plays. "I'll play Heart of the Underdog. Then I'll summon Gene-Warped Warwolf (4/2000/100) to attack." Lucy's Citadel drew energy from Heart of the Underdog to make another spell counter, but then a hideous creature, standing tall with four arms and a face covered by lavender hair, appeared on the field and rent the Alchemist of Black Spells (1800) asunder. "That's all."

"I thought a Warwolf was a Trebuchet, not an actual wolf," Lucy commented. Naoto had no idea what that meant. "A big catapult. A piece of Scottish weaponry used to fling projectiles into enemy fortresses."

"Can we just duel without the additional commentary? This is worse than dueling that idiotic boyfriend of yours."

"You only say that because I use bigger words," she replied. But whereas Bryan would take that as a challenge, Lucy agreed not to provoke him anymore. "I'll summon Apprentice Magician (2/400/800), and doing so lets me put another spell counter on my Citadel." A small, blond magician wearing purple robes, minus the mantle and hat, set himself up on the field and used his staff to create a spell counter. "Odd as this sounds, I'll send my monster to attack yours because when a spellcaster declares an attack, I can activate my Magician's Circle; this Trap lets us both Special Summon any spellcaster with at most 2000 AP from our decks. I choose Dark Red Enchanter (6/1700/2200)." Her magician wore burgundy robes with gold-plated leggings, bracers, shoulders, and crown, and he carried a golden staff by his side. Additionally, the Enchanter used his staff to cast two spell counters and gain 300 points for each.

But the effect worked for both players. Naoto opted to summon Gemini Elf (4/1900/900), a pair of female elves who, despite the name, were far from twins. One was blonde, white, and wore a sky blue dress while the second was redheaded, dark-skinned, and wore a purple dress. The closest similarity between them was their body shape identical markings tattooed on their faces.

The number of monsters on Naoto's field changed, and that triggered a _replay_; specifically, Lucy was no longer forced to attack with her small Apprentice Magician (400), but she was still in her Battle Phase and had the option to declare an attack if she wanted to. "I'll have Dark Red Enchanter (+2300) attack your Warwolf (2000)." Her spellcaster whipped his staff forward and blasted Naoto's monster with a burst of energy. "That ends my Battle Phase, and so now I'll play Spell Power Grasp." Her Dark Red Enchanter repeated the motions made by her Alchemist, creating a spell counter, but this time arming himself with it. The activation of a Spell card gave an additional spell counter to both the Magical Citadel (6 counters) and her Dark Red Enchanter (+2900). "I'll take one more Spell Power Grasp from my deck, and then I'll set one more card." Lucy 8000: Naoto 8000 – 300 = 7700.

"That was hardly a scratch," Naoto said. "Now the effect of Heart of the Underdog activates." His side of the holographic field began to emit a golden aura. "I drew Soul Tiger, so I get to draw again." What Naoto didn't need to explain for Lucy was that as long as he drew a Normal monster during his Draw Phase, Heart of the Underdog let him show Lucy the card in order to draw again. He could continue the effect indefinitely until he drew a card that was _not_ a Normal monster.

And so, the longest of Naoto's turns began. "Sabersaurus. Battle Footballer. Left Arm of the Forbidden One. Charcoal Inpachi. Battle Footballer. Gene-Warped Warwolf. Left Leg of the Forbidden One. Insect Knight. Insect Knight." Finally, he drew a card that was not a Normal monster and ended the soft glow of the Heart of the Underdog. "I'll attack your Apprentice Magician (400) with Gemini Elf (1900)." The "twin" elves attacked the small magician with synchronized dance movements.

"I'll play Magical Dimension," Lucy countered. A sarcophagus entombed her Apprentice Magician, but then it opened to reveal Magical Marionette (6/2000/1000), a puppet-like spellcaster clad in black armor and a red cloak. Strings from the monster's fingers attached to a small, wooden puppet carrying a dagger in each hand. As an additional effect, the energy released when Magical Dimension's sarcophagus opened infected the Gemini Elf and destroyed Naoto's monster.

"I expected that. Now I will return the Gene-Warped Warwolf from my Graveyard to my deck to Special Summon a monster called Exodius, the Ultimate Forbidden Lord (10/?/0)!" The being that emerged on Naoto's field was as big as two monsters. Every muscle on its body was accented as if there were no skin covering. He wore an enormous, black, iron breastplate that matched the shackles around his wrists and ankles. He wore an elaborate, Egyptian headdress.

"This is the form of Exodia before he was sealed," Lucy remembered from her studies with Yul Tan, former Guardian Dueler and expert on Duel Monsters mythology. "He seems weak at first, but he'll get stronger quickly."

"Yes, he will. I'll set two cards and end my turn. Of course, now I need to discard until I have only six cards in my hand." As he discard seven cards from his hand, Exodius (+7000) grew powerful; he gains 1000 attack points for every Normal monster in the owner's Graveyard.

"That's a lot of points," Lucy said. "Luckily, Exodius doesn't have protection against Monster effects. I'll play Spell Power Grasp and give its spell counter to Magical Marionette (+2200)." When Spell Power Grasp was activated, Magical Citadel (8 counters), Dark Red Enchanter (+3500), and Magical Marionette (+2400) all gained an additional spell counter. (Lucy was glad the computer added them up for her.) "When I remove two spell counters from Magical Marionette, I can destroy any monster on the field."

"Not when I play Divine Wrath. I discard one card to negate your monster's effect." A bolt of lightning struck Lucy's monster and turned it to ash before its effect could activate. "And discarding Soul Tiger increased Exodius's (+8000) points by another 1000."

Now Lucy looked a lot less eager to continue. "I'll summon Breaker the Magical Warrior (4/+1900/1000)." Wearing deep red armor with a matching cape and equipped with a sword in one hand and a shield in the other, Breaker gained a blue spell counter on his armor, and 300 points because of it. "By removing that spell counter, I can destroy your Heart of the Underdog." The spell counter on Breaker's armor disconnected and fell into the void; the resulting shockwaves destroyed Naoto's Spell. But then a spell counter disconnected from the towers of the Magical Citadel and returned to Breaker. The effect of her Citadel allowed her to use spell counters from the towers instead of from her other monsters. "Breaker will destroy your other card, too." Breaker's effect repeated and destroyed Naoto's facedown card.

"Still doesn't help you destroy Exodius (8000)."

"Not yet," Lucy admitted, "but I'll figure it out. At least you can't go on another drawing spree. I'll place a card face down and end my turn."

"How simple," Naoto commented as he drew. "I'll play another Heart of the Underdog. And now let's see if that facedown card is a legitimate Trap or just a bluff." He activated his Duel Disk for Exodius (+9000) to attack Breaker the Magical Warrior (1900); as the attack started, Naoto sent another Normal monster from his deck to the Graveyard, increasing Exodius's points by another 1000. The massive Egyptian god slammed his cinderblock-sized fist onto Lucy's spellcaster. "That will end my turn." Lucy 8000 – 7100 = 900: Naoto 7700.

"It wasn't a bluff," Lucy said, "but it wasn't meant to protect my monsters. Pitch-Black Power Stone is a Trap that creates three spell counters on the field." A black crystal ball appeared on the field and began generating a spell counter… Big stretch from description to depiction, huh? "When you destroyed Breaker, his spell counter went to my Magical Citadel (8 counters). Between my Citadel and my Power Stone (3 counters), I have 10 spell counters; that's perfect to activate the Mega Ton Magical Cannon." A giant stone cannon appeared on her field, and spell counters were fed into the back as power sources. By feeding it ten counters, Lucy's cannon fired, and the explosive blast obliterated Exodius and the Heart of the Underdog; specifically, the effect destroyed every card on Naoto's field.

"And without a defense, I'll summon Magician's Valkyria (4/1600/1800)." Like a young Dark Magician Girl, Lucy's monster was a beautiful woman with strawberry blonde hair and blue magician's robes that were at least a size too small for a woman of her stature. The biggest difference between the two female magicians was Valkyria's staff was larger and had a notable hook at the top. Dark Red Enchanter (+3800) and Magician's Valkyria (1600) both released magical energy from their staves and blasted Naoto directly. Lucy 900: Naoto 7700 – 3500 – 1600 = 2600.

Naoto kept his lips pursed to avoid showing any emotion, but he was a little frustrated by letting a _second_ duelist come so close to beating him. It's bad enough Bryan was able to take down Exodius _and_ prevent summoning Exodia; letting Lucy get away with it, too, was unacceptable.

"I'll place a monster face down and set one card."

Lucy was low on cards to play, but she had one good card that would make sure she got to see a few more turns. "I'll play Swords of Revealing Light." A bright light shone at the top of the holographic field, and from it rained five shining lights in the shape of swords. They landed on Naoto's monster zones, and the one that hit his facedown monster forced it to reveal itself as Battle Footballer (4/1000/2100), a cyborg wearing old-fashioned football pads. "For three turns, you can't attack my field."

"I know how an old card like that works," Naoto huffed.

"Right. Sorry. Anyway, Dark Red Enchanter (3800) will destroy your monster, and then Valkyria (1600) can attack directly." Dark Red Enchanter's spell destroyed the Battle Footballer, and then Magician's Valkyria struck Naoto again. Lucy 900: Naoto 2900 – 1600 = 700.

"Finally," Naoto muttered when Lucy ended her turn. "I'll summon Gene-Warped Warwolf (4/2000/100), and I'll activate my facedown Cry Havoc! Trap. Now by removing a monster in my Graveyard from play, I get to have an extra Normal summon this turn; I'll summon Tune Warrior (3/1600/200)." This new monster was a lanky warrior that resembled a red splitter, with electronic jacks for hands and antennae on his head. "By tuning my two monsters together, I can summon Dark Strike Fighter (7/2600/1800)." Tune Warrior plugged his arms into Warwolf's back, and the two monsters turned white as electrical currents surrounded them; when the energy subsided, their bodies had merged. Dark Strike Fighter was a giant red-and-steel machine, and was difficult to distinguish from any Transformer that turns into a jet plane.

"Oh, no," Lucy uttered as she realized what was about to happen.

"When I Tribute a monster, Dark Strike Fighter hits you for 200 points times the level of that monster. I'll Tribute Dark Strike Fighter (7) himself." The mighty machine transformed into a jet and launched itself at Lucy's field. Through an effect, Naoto's monster could bypass the Swords of Revealing Light and strike Lucy directly. Lucy 900 – 1400 = 0: Naoto 700.

"Aw, man," Lucy moaned. "So close."

Naoto suddenly became very gentlemanly. He collected his cards and approached Lucy with smooth movements and a softer visage. He extended his hand and gently shook that of his fallen opponent.

"You were a worthy opponent," he told her.

She blushed and said simply, "Thank you. Enjoy being Number 3."

Fortunately, Lucy wasn't one to take losing too hard. Naoto really was quite good, and generally the better duelist wins the duel. Not always, but generally.

"That was such a good effort," Hillary told Lucy. "I thought you were going to win for a minute there."

"So did I," Lucy said.

"What was your next card?" Bryan wondered.

Lucy shrugged. "I don't know. I just put my Graveyard on top of my deck when I put it in my deck box."

Bryan unabashedly reached for the deck box Lucy carried on the waist of her pants and opened it, taking the cards and shuffling through them. Lucy just let him go because most of the time, she wasn't sure what he was thinking. The duel ended and she didn't win; what difference did it make what she _would have_ drawn?

"Are you okay with losing rank?" Hillary asked.

"It's not that big a deal," Lucy admitted. "I can live with being Number 4. I'm not a competitive dueling major; I'm a duel theory major. My proficiency for practical application is less important than my knowledge of the game and creativity for using that knowledge. The fact that I'm in the Blue Mansion and a former Guardian Dueler is more important than my specific rank."

"Here," Bryan said. He held out Lucy's deck on his palm. "Naoto got lucky. If you had waited to destroy Exodius until you drew this card…"

Lucy stared at the deck for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't want to know. It won't change anything, and knowing that I lack the 'luck' factor that makes you unbeatable won't make me feel better."

Hillary wasn't so reserved. "Well, _I_ would like to know." She reached up and Bryan lowered the deck for her to reach the top card. She flipped it over to reveal Effect Veiler. It was a level-one tuner monster, but more importantly, when discarded during the opponent's turn, it negates the effect of a monster on the opponent's field. Essentially, it would have returned Exodius's points to 0 and caused the premature god to commit suicide when it attacked.

"I guess luck plays a bigger role than the professors would like to have us believe," Hillary suggested.

"Yeah, but they know how important luck is," Bryan said. He took another look at Hillary and asked, "Why are you here again? Isn't there an area duel in the Red Dorm?"

"Yes," she admitted, "but the other prefects are there, and I thought I might be able to learn more from watching two Blue students duel one another. Maybe I can pick up some tips for my residents."

Between her duties as a prefect and her ambition to watch as many duels as she could to improve her own skills, Hillary kept herself pretty busy. But she saw Lucy as a bit of a role model—someone she looked up to for her skill and attitude—and so she tried to be present for all of Lucy's area duels.

"Well, there are few better equipped to teach you yungins a thing or two than my baby," Bryan said as he put his arm around Lucy's waist and replaced her deck in her deck box. "She may have lost today by a hair, but she's still one of the best duelists on this island."

"Thanks, honey," she replied and gave him a short kiss, drawing an "Aww" from Hillary.

Jason Maxim approached at that point, blushing quite a bit and generally looking at the floor, only sheepishly looking up at Lucy as he spoke. His voice wavered and he seemed genuinely scared of talking to her.

"Hi, Lucy," he said softly. "That was an awesome duel."

"Thank you, Jason," she replied with a gentle smile. "I appreciate your saying that."

"It's true," he insisted. "Yours was a more skillful strategy. It doesn't take much strategy to build a deck full of Normal monsters with high points. Spell counters are so much more challenging and impressive to use."

"That's sweet of you to say. Maybe I'll get lucky next time."

"I know you will," Jason replied. He took a hesitant step away, then turned back to her again and gave a short, pathetic little wave. "I should go to class. But I enjoyed see your duel."

"Take care," Lucy said and waved as Jason walked away.

Bryan gave Jason a confused look. "Isn't he a prefect, too?"

"Yes," Hillary replied. "Why does that concern you?"

Bryan shook his head, not quite able to figure out what it was just now that bugged him so much… aside from Jason's flirting with Lucy; that was obvious. "He just doesn't seem to fit the role. Never mind. What's next?"

Waiting for Jason by the exit was his roommate Clint Ealey, leaning against the wall with his arms folded over his chest. He stared at his roommate with an expression of even greater confusion than the one Bryan had.

"That was awfully uncharacteristic of you to be so coy," he said.

Jason chuckled. "Just planting seeds."

"With Lucy? Why? I thought you hated fat chicks."

"I don't think she's fat at all," Jason surmised. "I think she's just trying to hide her big magumbos."

"Magumbos? How often do you watch _The Simpsons_?"

Jason ignored that comment and pulled his notebook from his back pocket. "I have a plan."

"A plan for what?"

"Tomorrow I ask her to help me out with spell counters because—" his voice changed to a whiny tone, "—I _just don't get it!_ After two sessions, I'll reveal an embarrassing secret… you know, to build trust. That Friday, I'll sneak a kiss and then quickly apologize. Then two days later, I'll bashfully ask her out. Then it's crying, make-out session, she discovers a love letter in my back pocket, heavier make-out session, all culminating in November 8: D-Day. Actually, I bet it's more like G-Day." He put on a pensive look as he stared off into space. "I wonder how big they really are."

Clint was amused, but his shook his head to show overt disapproval. "Aren't you even the least bit worried about Bryan? The guy's a mountain."

Jason looked excited. "Actually, that's part of the plan." He turned the page and pointed. "See? Bryan gets so jealous that he hits me. It will probably break my shoulder, but then Lucy will feel so bad about it that she'll help me recuperate."

"You are a wonder," Clint admitted. "All I can do is wish you luck. I think I'll try for someone who's currently single."

"Who?"

"I don't know. Lili is pretty cute."

Jason groaned. "She's like the exact opposite of Lucy. _So_ not what _I'd_ be looking for. Plus, she's mean. She doesn't seem likely to date anyone who can't take a boatload of daily abuse."

"Good point. What about her roommate? Rory's cute, too."

"Yeah, but you said were interested in someone who's single." Clint needed clarification. "Oh, come on. Everyone knows she's latched onto Matt."

"But they're not dating. Matt's got a girlfriend already."

Jason shook his head and looked at his roommate the same way a mother watches an infant trying to get milk from an empty bottle. "You just don't understand women. Rory is already interested in Matt. She won't go out with anyone else." Then his look of pity turned to a devious grin. "Unless you convince her that going out with you will make Matt jealous!"

Clint sighed heavily. "Now what are you planning?"

Jason chuckled devilishly. "You could get her to go out with you under the guise of getting Matt jealous enough to dump his girlfriend. Then while she's toying with Matt, you woo her affections and show her that Matt's just a chump. I can work up a detailed plan for you if you want."

"I'm not really into game-playing," Clint replied. "If she doesn't want to go out, that's pretty definitive."

"No way," Jason argued. "I'm telling you; keep after her and she'll forget about him. It'll work for me. Just watch and learn."

Clint was surprised to find out that Jason, with his bold attitude and sometimes negligent attitude, was capable of planning social interactions so far in advance. No wonder Jason was such a powerful duelist. If his plan actually worked, it was going to be the most impressive thing Clint ever saw.

"You're like an evil genius," Clint suggested.

Jason smiled and said, "I know. And they put me in a position of authority! How awesome is that?!"

* * *

_I was going to make this one longer, but I need time to do other things. Maybe all my chapters won't be super long, but any time I have to stop short means there will be at least one more chapter until I can include everything I want to say. On that note, I will still accept more OCs; I just won't promise that they will all get included the instant I receive them (e.g., I already had this chapter planned and half written when I got two more characters this past week; they might appear in the next chapter)._

_My preliminary plans for the next chapter include showing how big a flirt Bryan is, Matt's telling Rory that he can't see a student socially, and rumors floating around about a "ghost duelist." I won't show you said duelist just yet, but I'll introduce the rumors of his/her existence._

_Credits:_  
_Darius Mantzios....tiramisu19_  
_Jason Maxim....Maxim and Knight_  
_Nathan Zislaw....Mavrik Zero_  
_Hillary Delaney....Nodqfan144_  
_Lili Von....Happy2BMe_  
_Carter Jade....Jaden2010  
Mitsuro Itachu....Titanic X  
Sean Bivins....DarkVestroia2_  
_Naoto Kurotsuki....Kurotsuki Haru_  
_Hayley Wilson....TeamRocketDiva_  
_Maikeru Stone....onyxshade7_  
_Everyone else so far....YamiRuss_


	7. Open Mic Night

Chapter 7: Open Mic Night

"Yet another riveting lecture from the think tank that is Dr. Oscar Apple," Bryan groaned as class came to a close. "Who would have thought you take an idea like alchemy and make it so freaking _boring_?"

"It wasn't that bad," Hayley argued. "I like hearing the ancient theories on magic Duel Monsters cards. It's just too bad it isn't real." And the reason for teaching a lecture on a subject that has been disproved lay in the necessity of teaching the students about the evolution of Duel Monsters and all the biggest theories of the cards, including those theories that seem ridiculous to the rational mind.

"Oh, so _now_ you're talking to me civilly?" Bryan replied. "Last week I asked if I could borrow a piece of paper and you threatened to castrate me. Why do you think I've been staring at you all day? Every time you grabbed a pencil, my butt clenched so tightly you could stick a lump of coal up there and get back a diamond."

"Thank you for that disturbing image," muttered Nick Sims on his way out of the classroom. Nick was a sophomore in the Yellow Dorm who was never really fond of Bryan. His dislike started back during freshman year when Bryan repeatedly trounced Nick's best friend Thomas Estrada in a series of revenge duels, all of which started when Bryan hit on Thomas's girlfriend Kasumi Okuyama, who, incidentally, broke up with Thomas and started dating Matt, who also defeated Nick in a similar series of duels, and they all lived in the house that Jack built*.

"Personally, I think you could be a poet," Matt told Bryan with a pat on the back. "It would be about as effective as your stand-up comedy career, if you remember that effort."

"I was _funny_!" Bryan replied emphatically.

"I thought so, too, but your humor caters to a very particular crowd."

"Girls," Bryan answered. To prove his point, he put his arm around the nearest female student on her way out of the classroom. Jessica Parks had long, honey blond hair, sky blue eyes, and skin ever-so-subtly darkened by the sun. She was one of the more thoughtful students in class, actually volunteering to answer the questions Dr. Apple occasionally posed to the class without having to pull her teeth to get her to speak. She was a strong-willed young woman, quite athletic, and was actually the one responsible for keeping Bryan's softball team from winning the intramural tournament last year. A really well placed throw from the outfield made a one-hop to the catcher just seconds before Bryan made it all the way around. His grudge was short-lived, however, when he realized the dining hall was giving away leftover muffins.

"You'd be interested in joining me for a night of comedy, wouldn't you, Jessica?"

"You must have me confused with somebody numb, or at least single enough to be swayed by your Tom Selleck mustache."

That's when Alister Kazama stepped up and hooked his arm around Jessica's neck and leaned in to kiss her on the top of her head. She backed away from Bryan and removed herself from his playful grip, reminding Bryan that he wasn't dating _every_ girl who walked by him.

"Don't you have your own mental patient to attend to you?" Alister asked him. He was a bit taller than Jessica, had darker skin and brown eyes, and he let his jet black hair grow to a medium length in order to pull it back into a ponytail. Like Jessica, he was a resident of the Yellow Dorm with a penchant for physical activity; he mostly enjoyed slamball, which is full contact basketball played on trampolines. Not a lot of duelists really cared to play with him, and so he played whichever intramural sports for he could get a team together.

"So he keeps forgetting," Jessica agreed, leaning back on Alister's chest and shoulder.

Bryan held up his hands in surrender. "Hey. Just because she's on a diet doesn't mean she can't look at the menu."

Jessica scoffed and pulled Alister toward the door. "See you Tuesday, Bryan."

"Killjoy," Bryan muttered in reply to being blown off. He caught sight of Hayley again and flinched dramatically, retreating to Matt's arms for protection.

"I honestly don't know what you're talking about," Hayley told him. "I've never threatened you."

"Oh," Bryan said sarcastically. "Then you _didn't_ threaten to pull off my head and give it to Dr. Houtz as a birthday present?"

Hayley's expression was one of combined confusion and realization. She knew what must have happened, but she wasn't sure of a way to explain it without seeming crazy. "I think you probably just took my words out of context."

"I'm sure that was it," Matt agreed. He gave a gentle wave as Hayley left the room. When she was out of sight, he smacked Bryan's shoulder and said, "What are you doing? That girl's crazy. Why are you trying to upset her?"

"Sorry. I just tend to get a little _confused_ when someone who threatens me on a regular basis suddenly looks at me the same way Lucy does when Marvin Gaye is playing."

"Personally, I think she's unstable."

"Yeah? Well, _I_ think she just doesn't know how to express her love for the Knight."

"I can't believe you would think about romance with a girl who has threatened to end all your romances on more than one occasion."

"Matt, some cultures consider that to be a form of wooing."

"Yeah, but those cultures are all insects."

As a welcome relief from the near bickering behavior that these two sworn brothers sometimes showed one another, Rory Ruiter poked her head into the classroom to say "hi." Both guys instantly stood up straight and put on relaxed, casual faces to make it seem as if they weren't just moments ago mocking one another in a childish manner.

"What are you guys up to?" she asked.

"Same old stuff," Matt replied. "What brings you to this part of the building?"

"Nothing terribly important," she replied honestly. "I just wanted to say 'hi' and maybe ask if you'd be interested in going into Kazuki with me tonight."

"You're going into town?" Matt repeated. "Why?"

"There's a little restaurant that does open mic night on Thursdays, and I thought it would be fun to invite a couple of friends to come with me."

Bryan seemed excited about the idea, but Matt was hesitant. "I don't know about that. I'm really not supposed to fraternize with any of my students outside of class or office hours."

"You don't have any students," Bryan reminded him.

"I teach Dr. West's class from time to time."

"You grade their papers."

"That counts!"

Rory was rather amused by the exchange between these two. But she was disappointed when Matt told her that as a teaching assistant, he wasn't supposed to be social with the students in that class. Someone might bring the accusation that her good grades weren't the result of her own intelligence or studious behavior but because she was getting favors from the one grading the papers, maybe because she was doing _him_ favors.

"Wink," Bryan added by saying the word out loud.

"Subtle," was Matt's dry reply. Then his phone saved him from any further snapping. Once again, it was Kasumi calling to see where he was and what he was up to. He dismissed himself for a moment to answer the phone and try to convince his girlfriend that it was pure coincidence that Rory stopped by again.

"Are you familiar with the term 'whipped'?" Bryan asked Rory.

"It seems like she's _trying_ to, but Matt's a little more resistant than that. I don't think he'd fall for simple guilt trips."

"Well, you know him pretty well for someone whose interactions are mostly limited to statistical formulas. You're not stalking him, are you?"

"Just enough to know he's too good for her." Bryan raised his eyebrows in shock and avoided saying anything lest he accidentally add fuel to the fire, which somehow started even without the kindling. She bumped her shoulder into him and scoffed. "Like you didn't already know I like him."

"I picked up on subtle clues," he admitted. Like the fact that she keeps showing up after class or that she invited him to come to an open mic night. Actually, maybe Matt felt some ethical reason to deny the invitation, but Bryan thought it could be fun. He put his arm around Rory and hugged her tightly. "I'll go to your open mic night, even if Grumps Luther over there won't."

"Yeah?" She was excited to have at least one of them agree to go.

"Yeah. Are you performing?"

"I plan to sing a song or two. They have a nice little karaoke machine to back me up."

"Nice. You've got a pretty voice. I can think of no better first date than to listen to you sing." Rory just smiled and continued walking between Bryan's arm and his bear-sized chest. Meanwhile, Matt stayed on the phone and tried to remember how to say "I'm not cheating on you" in Japanese.

----------

Ellie's closest friends graduated last spring, and she found herself spending more time with other people who lived in the Yellow Dorm, including her roommate Kasumi, who was a little annoyed that her schedule so conflicted with Matt's that the two rarely saw one another for dinner.

"Is he really that busy?" Ellie wondered aloud.

"He doesn't have much free time between taking classes, planning Dr. West's entire academic life, and running things with Team OTK. He usually has to grab some food from the Blue D-Hall and take it back to his room to eat while he works."

"Does he ever drop food on the papers?" Darius asked, hoping for some ammunition to make jokes at his former roommate's expense.

"I don't know. You'd have to ask the freshmen."

Before she could say anything else, Sean and Maikeru dropped their trays rather loudly onto the table. Most notable was that Sean's tray held four glasses full of water, and as soon as he released the tray, he headed straight back to the drink dispensers.

"What's going on?" Kasumi asked, sounding somewhere between annoyed and amused.

Maikeru sighed. "Sean learned today in kinesiology that the average person is supposed to drink at least eight eight-ounce glasses of water per day."

"Eight ounces per day?" Darius misheard. "That is an underestimate. You get that much just from staying hydrated."

"_Eight_ eight-ounce glasses," Maikeru repeated with emphasis. "Sixty-four ounces, in other words. So, in light of this knowledge, Sean decided he's going to drink eight eight-ounce glasses of water with _dinner_."

"Why?" Ellie asked.

"Just because," Maikeru said. There was no more eloquent explanation.

When Sean brought four more glasses and placed them around his tray, Darius informed him, "You are going to spend all night in the bathroom."

"But I'll be healthy," Sean countered as he began chugging glass number one.

Darius started to ask Ellie about her day, but her attention was stuck at the next table where Victor Rocks was getting annoyed with his two lackeys Ty and Clyde. They were going off about some duel they'd lost to a guy they'd never seen before. Ty was pretty sure it was not a man but a monster, and Clyde was sure it was a ghost. Ellie thought the conversation was hilarious.

Vic Rocks was not only his name, but also his favorite expression. He was a good duelist who tended to thrive on attention. Whether that meant challenging the Guardian Duelers in attempt to take the god cards from them or starting fights over trivial matters, Vic tried to drag the spotlight wherever he went. That's why he got so frustrated when his cronies continued to talk about another duelist.

"So you lost a duel," he groaned. "So what. I beat you guys all the time."

"He beat us _both_!" Ty emphasized.

"Really?" Now Vic sounded offended. How could someone dare treat his servants like that? "You dueled him two-on-one and he still beat you?" Ty and Clyde nodded eagerly. He pounded his fist on the table and said, "Well, then that punk will have to deal with my wrath!"

Pushing herself into the conversation, Kasumi asked, "What kind of deck did he use?"

Vic glanced back at her with a scowl on his face. "I don't remember inviting you into this conversation, toots."

"Toots?" Ellie repeated. "I'd be stingy in the use of such language around Kasumi. She'll kick your butt if you push her too hard."

"I like 'em feisty," Vic replied. He was a street kid with a youth not unlike Darius's, but whereas Darius learned to tolerate other people and knew the pain of fighting, Vic seemed to thrive on that pain and rarely seemed happy if he wasn't starting something.

Darius asked Ty and Clyde, "Where did you find this duelist? Is he a resident of the Blue Mansion?"

"He must be," Clyde said. "He was too good to be a Yellow. He caught us at the bus stop last night and forced us to duel him. He had this weird deck with a bunch of undead cards I've never heard of."

"Knowing these two, the guy could use _any_ zombie cards," Maikeru commented dryly.

Vic pointed out, "Don't _you_ use zombie cards, Mike?"

"That's not my name," Maikeru replied. "And it wasn't me."

To be sure, Darius asked what the guy looked like. Ty explained that they never actually saw his face. He was pretty well hidden in the shadows, and they were intimidated by his presence to the point they weren't really paying attention. They remembered him being eight feet tall, six hundred pounds, and having a voice even deeper than Darth Vader's. Darius was pretty sure they were not the most reliable witnesses.

"It sounds like the guy merely frightened them," he suggested.

Vic asked with discernable frustration in his voice, "How did he force you to duel? Did he at least do anything to you when you lost?" Ty and Clyde looked at one another and shook their heads hesitantly, pretty sure nothing bad happened after the duel. "Well, then I'm going to have to find him and teach him a lesson," Vic decided.

"You have fun with that," Maikeru said. He turned back to his own food and caught sight of Sean, who looked rather miserable at the moment. He was leaning back in his seat and had one hand pressed lightly against his belly.

"I feel sick."

Maikeru groaned and muttered, "You're an idiot."

----------

Bryan never spent all that much time in Kazuki. The Duel Academy campus had pretty much everything he needed to keep himself happy, healthy, and entertained, including a card shop that received regular shipments to restock. There was never a real reason to go into town. And that novelty is what added a bit of excitement to attending an open mic night.

"Duel gruel?" Bryan read, readying a comment about how disgusting that sounded.

"It says 'Duel _Grille_,'" Rory corrected him.

He took a better look at the sign and realized he was just being dyslexic. "Oh, yeah. That doesn't sound so bad."

On such short notice, only Bryan, Lili Von, Carter Jade, Clint Ealey, and Synthia Spencer came from Duel Academy to cheer Rory on. Bryan was sure they could have brought a bigger crowd if they had advertised the event a little earlier in advance.

"Matt was the grand prize," Lili admitted to him. "She waited until he declined to invite other people." Bryan just purred; he liked when women took the initiative. Rory giggled in response.

The diner wasn't especially large, but it had a decent space for open mic night. There was space for about fifty patrons if they were reasonably friendly and didn't need enough elbow space to do the Electric Slide. The corner of the diner had a small stage set up with a microphone and stand, a single stool, and an old karaoke machine, busted in that it did not provide lyrics to the user; it did, however, provide musical accompaniment for anyone who didn't bring his or her own.

"This is cool," Carter said, eagerly planting himself at one of the booths. He immediately grabbed one of the menus and started looking through it as Lili sat down beside him. "Ooo, chili cheese dog! What do you think?" He looked from Lili to the waitress who approached the table. "Two chili cheese dogs, please."

"I think I'll pass," Lili replied.

Carter shrugged. "Who's offering?" He look to the waitress again and repeated, "Two chili cheese dogs, please."

"This place is pretty nice," Bryan commented. "I may have to come here more often."

"You should," Rory agreed. "The other people who come here are pretty good, and they show such a variety of talents." She noticed a man standing by the door to the kitchen and said, "Oh! There's Tommy. I need to go talk to him to sign myself up."

"I'll go with you," Bryan offered.

At eight o'clock, Tommy Caruthers, a suave and ruggedly handsome twenty-six-year-old who worked at the diner. He was chosen to host open mic night because of his looks and his charm, mostly the way he smiled without even trying, as if the corners of his mouth were caused by his dimples and not the other way around.

The acts were pretty wide and varied. Most of the acts tended to be poets of one genre or another. Some read rhyming poetry, some read free verse, and some simply expressed gripes about the world. And Rory was not the only musician; one returning guy played guitar—one cover and one original—and a couple brought an electric guitar, a bass, and an amp.

"This is pretty good," Bryan commented during one metal song in which the vocal synthesizers made lyrics impossible to discern.

"It's delicious," Carter agreed as he licked his fingers from his first chili cheese dog.

"Oh, shut up," groaned Lili.

"I mean it. What's in this? Pimento loaf?"

"Enough with the hot dog!" Lili commanded. "We're here for Rory—not your tongue."

"I'm sorry," Carter said sarcastically. "I forget: Are we in an auditorium with a snack bar, or a diner with a stool on stage?"

"Stool," Synthia agreed.

"I thought so. This place is primarily an eating establishment. It would be irresponsible, not to mention rude, of me _not_ to partake of the food they spend all day dreaming up new and delicious ways of assembling. Especially something that smells so heavenly." He lifted his second chili cheese dog and took in the bouquet just as a wine connoisseur with the cork.

"He has a point," Synthia said. She didn't have the chili cheese dog, but she did order for herself an omelet that was made with just the right spices to give it a zing. "That was so good if you put it on your head, your tongue would slap your brains out trying to get it." Holding an imaginary microphone in her hand and extending it in front of Lili's face, she said, "Lili? Your rebuttal?"

Synthia Spencer was five-foot-three, had really long hair colored a flawless teal shade, and she was a bubbly girl—so lively, in fact, that she sometimes got on people's nerves by egging on anyone who was too quiet or sedate for her taste. She really liked Lili because she seemed the most likely to get in a verbal spat at any given time, and those were always amusing in Synthia's eyes. What made her fun to hang around, though, was that she had a distinct Southern drawl, which occasionally led her to use words that other students either never heard of or couldn't spell.

Lili groaned and looked to her roommate. "When do you go up, Rory?"

"I don't know," she answered with an apology. "Tommy puts my name on the list, and he'll call me up when he gets there. I don't think it'll be _too_ long; there were only six or seven names in front of mine, I think."

"Well, we're on act number six," Clint noted. "I can't wait to hear you sing. This should be the most exciting thing to happen this week."

"Way to sensationalize," Lili commented dryly.

When the metal duo ended their second song, a total performance of about ten minutes, the audience applauded and Tommy thanked the duo for coming out and sharing their music with the crowd. Then he put on a big smile and announced that they had a returning act tonight.

"A beautiful and talented young singer who started coming here a few weeks ago and has just blown us away every time. You're in for a real treat; I'm sure you'll love it. Let's welcome Rory!" Rory got up from her seat and approached the stage. Tommy asked her briefly if she was going to do just one song tonight or if she prepared two; she opted for one because she didn't want to bother everyone too much, which Tommy argued was not the reaction she was going to get.

Tommy handed off the microphone and started the karaoke machine. The music started up with a low, fast, piano beat, and Rory began singing Joe Cocker's "The Letter." Her voice was strong and well supported; Bryan thought it amazing to hear such a voice coming from a relatively small girl. Clint stared onstage with stars in his eyes, which did not go unnoticed by Lili; she thought he was trying to hard to get noticed.

"That's amazing," Carter commented. "I didn't realize she had such a deep voice."

"It's not that deep," Lili said. "She's just loud and strong. It makes me nostalgic for my violin."

"You play violin?" Bryan repeated. "I think Matt played some trumpet in high school. You two should get together and jam."

"Nothing harmonizes better than a trumpet-violin duo," Lili mocked. Fortunately, "The Letter" is not a long song and so Rory returned to the table directly among applause and general praise.

"That was beautiful," Tommy announced to the audience; maybe he wanted one of those neon signs that tells the audience when to applaud. "Let's have another round of applause for Rory!" The crowd applauded once more, though less intensely the second time.

"Next up, we have a new act. A very funny guy: Bryan!" He peered back into the crowd and tried to hide his eyes from the overhead light. "Are you out there, Bryan?"

"Right behind you, Elmer Fudd." Tommy turned to find Bryan already anticipated his turn on stage and stood silently behind him. Tommy laughed and handed off the microphone. Bryan took a look at the crowd and smiled. "How's everyone doing tonight?" Although not an incredibly lively crowd, they did return some cheers. "I must admit, I'm doing pretty well," Bryan said casually. "I finally digested that gum I swallowed in grade school."

This joke was one Bryan used to size up the comedic level of the crowd. If a person laughed at that joke, he or she had a sophisticated sense of humor and/or brain trauma; lack of laughter indicated someone who didn't care to think while listening to humor. The crowd was dead silent except for Rory giggling softly.

"Okay," Bryan muttered. "Back to fart jokes and swear words."

* * *

_*If you have never read _The House that Jack Built_ (a poem), you should do so to understand this joke. And no, I'm not that old; I'm just that random and I thought it was funny._

_I don't know for sure what the next chapter will be. I think I'll show another piece of Matt's life (i.e., Team OTK) and come back to the Ghost Duelist in stride. You can be sure someone will duel him/her eventually, though. I also think it's about time my second main character finally hits the dueling field again.  
_

_I want to have all the characters duel at least once, but each will have to wait until the story allows; I don't like to throw them in haphazardly. Sorry if your character hasn't dueled yet, but I don't like to force these things. I might throw in a Tag Team Tournament later just because I think it will be fun and I have a few zippy one-liners to riff. I think everyone will get the chance to duel then if not sooner._

_Credits:_  
_Darius Mantzios....tiramisu19_  
_Jason Maxim....Maxim and Knight_  
_Nathan Zislaw....Mavrik Zero_  
_Hillary Delaney....Nodqfan144_  
_Lili Von....Happy2BMe_  
_Carter Jade....Jaden2010  
Mitsuro Itachu....Titanic X  
Sean Bivins....DarkVestroia2_  
_Naoto Kurotsuki....Kurotsuki Haru_  
_Hayley Wilson....TeamRocketDiva_  
_Maikeru Stone....onyxshade7  
Victor Rocks....Iron-Arm-V_  
_Alister Kazama & Jessica Parks....ZaneKazama001_  
_Synthia Spencer.....disaster_  
_Everyone else so far....YamiRuss_


	8. The Teams of Duel Academy

Chapter 8: The Teams of Duel Academy

"Next on the agenda," Matt said as he looked over his notes. "We still haven't figured out what our big fund raiser will be this semester. The only ideas we've considered so far are the OTK Bash, the date auction, and the jail and bail sales. Oh, and my boy Bryan suggested we do a Jell-O Wrestling fundraiser."

"What about my idea?" asked Brad Nguyen. He was a senior who had only been a member of the team for two years. Like Fusayo, he was a bit of a suck-up, but he was a little lacking in the efficiency department; he made up for it with creativity, though. "I'm telling you; people love kissing booths and people love petting zoos."

"Nobody's interested in a kissing zoo," Matt repeated from previous discussions. "That's just gross."

"A petting booth might be fun," joked Desmond Vele, junior member and wielder of the Batteryman OTK. He winked at Laura Gertin when he made that suggestion, a subtle reminder between the two of them that he and she were secretly dating, if "secretly" means "everyone knows about it and no one cares."

"That's not the appropriate kind of attention to bring to our organization," Laura argued. It was still odd, Matt thought, to consider this group of five people to be an organization. Actually, they were just one branch of a fairly widespread Team OTK, including a number of famous professional duelists who, since joining the professional leagues, have banded together to form a professional Team OTK. "We need something that will be popular without being completely amoral."

"I really don't think Jell-O Wrestling is completely amoral," Fusayo said. "It's not like in those stupid movies where people do it naked. They'll be clothed." Ironically, the possibility of _losing_ clothing is what draws an audience to such an otherwise ridiculous event. Laura pointed that out and went into a short sermon about "sins of the flesh."

Matt pointed out, "Unfortunately, I can't imagine making a whole lot of money on Jell-O wrestling with such a small student body, and I don't know how comfortable I am asking a bunch of people to cover themselves in Jell-O with some of the townies watching and bringing their cameras. Besides, the problem with that _and_ the date auction is that we'd have to go outside the team to find people; there aren't enough of us to get much of a response."

_And,_ he thought to himself, _this isn't exactly a lineup from _Vogue_._ He could probably convince Kasumi and Cary to participate in a date auction for charity—and maybe even pull in a pretty penny in the process—but they wouldn't do Jell-O wrestling if they were hypnotized. There were a lot of attractive people he might be able to rope into participation somehow, but not everyone would be willing to auction themselves off for a night without getting something in return, which defeats the purpose of the charity event. What Matt wanted was an idea that would be suitable for a college campus and might attract a crowd willing to spend a few bucks on it.

"What if we put together a big tournament?" Brad asked. "Like, uh… a Tag Team tournament or something." Everyone else just stopped to look at him. "We could charge people to come see it, and we could charge any pairs who want to sign up a registration fee. Then the winner could get, like, a trophy or something to make up for the fee."

"That actually sounds like a good idea," Fusayo commented.

"I know," Matt replied, equally dumbfounded.

"But it came from Brad."

"I _know_!"

Laura, as always, felt it necessary to argue and find some fault with the proposal. "We are not allowed to hold a tournament just any time we wish," she reminded them. "We have to go through the proper channels and get permission from the administration staff, and then we have to get all the supplies and materials necessary, and _then_ we actually have to put everything together."

"That doesn't sound so difficult," Matt commented. "Why don't you take point on that?" Laura's expression changed dramatically. Now, suddenly, she was pleased to be offered a role of such responsibility, but she struggled to suppress the immense pleasure she felt lest her teammates realize that she's an easily flattered woman.

"I would be happy to," she accepted. "I will contact Dr. Lankford as soon as we conclude this meeting." Dr. Lankford was the faculty chair of Team OTK, and one fond of skipping the team's meetings unless he was specifically in charge of something or had an important announcement for them.

"I really like that idea," Matt repeated, trying to shake off the shock of hearing something useful from Brad. "I guess that brings us to our last note of business. Any prospects on new recruits so far?" Fusayo was mostly in charge of that, although every member was allowed to keep an eye open and make suggestions.

"Not a whole lot, sir," Fusayo replied. "I've noticed a few people have won a duel or two using a one-turn-kill strategy during the semester so far, but not a whole lot. Mitsuro Itachu did so twice, and Cary Strickland has done so a number of times, too. Of course, Naoto Kurotsuki has the most one-turn-kills outside our team."

"There's a shocker," Matt thought when he remembered Naoto's Exodia deck. "I suppose I could speak to each of them and see what kind of interest they might have in joining. Any freshmen show the potential to add to the list?"

Laura hummed loudly and curtly at that point, a sign that she wasn't getting enough attention. "Freshmen are not eligible to join Team OTK," she pointed out. "It's in the bylaws."

"Obviously that's not always true," Matt reminded her. "I joined as a freshman. I can approach them now; the bylaws only prevent them from joining until their second semester." Laura knew he was right, but she kept her "high and mighty" look for the time being.

"You can't go inviting freshmen to join our team," Desmond objected. "It's against regulations and it destroys team morale."

Matt stared at him for a moment before saying, "Anyway…" That was him ignoring Desmond's attempt to score points by agreeing with Laura even after a point has been decided. "We've got to have at least one or two freshmen prospects."

"Of course we do, sir. I'm very thorough when it comes to doing my scouting duties for you." Fusayo looked at his list. "Lili Von has shown the most promise with her chaos cards, but Ivy Roaks actually has a one-turn strategy already implemented in her deck." Matt took note of that. "Oh, and Rory Ruiter told me specifically that she would like to join. I think she said she is currently putting some OTKs in her deck and will be ready by next semester."

"There's another shocker," Matt commented, but this time, he had a little smile on his face. "That covers everything on my agenda. Anything else someone except Brad wants to bring to the table?" He wanted to preempt Brad's request for ear pieces that each member could wear during events to facilitate communication. After Brad reacted and then quickly put his hand down, no one showed any sign of bringing up a new item. "Alright, then. We all have our assignments for the week. We'll get together again same time next week. Meeting adjourned."

----------

There are two types of cheese in every fridge, and there are two sides to every coin. Previously formed for the purpose of beating the Guardian Duelers, Team Lockdown now found themselves often in competition with Team OTK. Headed by junior Numbers Harper, the members of Lockdown were left with only four members after one graduated last spring, and so they were more proactive in recruitment than Matt felt the need to be.

"I dueled with Shane Pricer and Jeri Fleig yesterday," Numbers told her cohort. "There's no way they would last on this team."

She was currently on her way to her class, escorted by Keiju Iwase, a senior. He was a fairly nondescript guy: black hair, dark eyes, and somewhat short. Team Lockdown didn't really concern themselves with rank except to know Numbers was their Number One, but Keiju was probably ranked third behind Lori Colman, who wasn't present at the moment.

"Have you thought about the freshmen yet?" he asked. "I picked out a couple of them I thought might appeal to you." He told her briefly of Ivy Roaks' potential. "She doesn't use a lockdown strategy right now, but if we wanted to recruit her more actively, her plant deck does lend itself to a lockdown strategy."

Numbers took a mental note. "I'm not really wild about the idea of teaching someone how to use a lockdown strategy, but if it comes to that, I might reconsider. Did you check on that Clinton Ealey guy?"

"I did, and you were right on the money. He uses a number of Arcana Force cards that have actually been pretty effective so far. I believe he's ranked in the top ten of the current freshman class already, but his strategy should be easier to cultivate than Ivy's."

"Good. I'll give him a visit this evening."

"I found one other potential recruit: Lucy Mercer. She used a Lockdown strategy with her Disenchanter against Joel Hullum's Iron Chain, deck-milling strategy."

Numbers actually liked the sound of that. "Well, I feel confident she wouldn't need much coaching to use such a strategy more easily." She wasn't part of a team right now, for one reason, because she was just recently a Guardian Dueler, and she couldn't hold dual membership with another team. "I wonder if she'd be interested."

"We should certainly consider asking," Keiju recommended. "She's a great duelist and would certainly help bolster our ranks and our chapter's reputation."

"Speaking of bolstering your ranks…" Both Numbers and Keiju jumped when they heard that third voice come out of nowhere. Bryan snuck up on both of them and popped up directly between them, a move he perfected in high school football when he used to run a variety of blitz patterns. "I want to join!"

"Geez, Bryan," Numbers moaned. "Stop doing that. You're like a ninja." He just laughed and repeated his request to join Team Lockdown. "We've already had this discussion. You need to have a lockdown strategy to be eligible."

"I have one," he insisted. "I figured one out and added it to my deck. Well, to _one_ of them." Bryan liked to carry around two decks just to keep up a variety of cards and keep his opponents on their toes.

"With the Elemental Heroes?" Keiju asked. "Why don't you join Team OTK? I'd think you had an in, being best friends with the guy in charge and all."

Bryan gave Keiju a puzzled look. "You don't think Matt and I spend enough time together already?" He slowly shook his head and _tsked_. "You and Lucy are very different people."

"Why wouldn't you want to join them?" Numbers prodded. "Join us and you'll only ever duel _against_ Matt—not with him."

"And you don't think we can draw crowds of people interested in watching Matt and me go head to head in a duel?"

He had a point. Because they already arrived at the Marufuji building where Numbers had class and she wasn't the type of person to delegate annoying people to someone else she actually liked, she offered Bryan a deal before leaving Keiju alone with his insistence.

"I already know you're a good duelist because you beat Julian last year right after he beat me. I will offer you one opportunity to obtain fair scrutiny, but only under certain circumstances." She looked at Keiju and said, "You duel Bryan, and regardless of the outcome, if he uses a lockdown strategy against _in this duel_, then we'll give him fair consideration for joining the team."

"In this duel?" Bryan repeated. "What if I just happen _not_ to get the right cards?"

"Then you can try again next year. The whole point to having a lockdown deck is that you can make it work regularly. It's the same for us as it is for Team OTK. Now, do you accept?"

"Of course I do. I'll pull off that lockdown strategy like it's a week-old band-aid."

"Lovely," Numbers mumbled. "Have fun, Keiju." With that, she went inside the building and left the two guys outside to figure out the details.

"Usually," Keiju said, "we duel potential recruits the old-fashioned way—"

"On a table," Bryan translated.

"Right. That way we don't hurt their Academy dueling records just before they join our team. Is that how you want to do it?"

"It's not _my_ record you should worry about," Bryan reminded him. Keiju just laughed at Bryan's confidence, but he knew Bryan was probably right; he was ranked second at the academy for a reason, although that was before he changed his deck to accommodate a lockdown strategy.

"We use the Duel Disks," he decided. "That way, there will be a record of the duel in case we ever need proof of the cards you played."

"Fair enough. Where do you want to do this?" Academy rules said duels with Duel Disks could happen pretty much anywhere, but not within a certain distance of the academic buildings; if the students inside get distracted when they see a duel out the window, the professors get upset and tend to take it out on the students. Rather than rely on a bunch of young adults to stay focused, the rule was to use the quad or stay closer to the residential side of campus. Bryan and Keiju decided to set up between the Blue Mansion and the blue d-hall.

"Do I have to let you go first?" Bryan asked.

Keiju informed him, "Usually the recruit goes first."

"Awesome. Here goes!" Bryan excitedly drew his first six cards. "I'll start things off with Elemental Hero Lady Heat (4/1300/1000)." Bryan's side of the field burst into flames, and a woman sprang forth wearing armor that looked as if it were colored by the flames. "And for backup, I'll play Hero's Bond to summon two more Heroes from my hand." Lady Heat held her arm forward as if psyching herself up for battle. Two more heroes faded in as they placed their hands over Lady Heat's. Elemental Hero Ocean (4/1500/1200) resembled a blue fish-man bearing a two-pronged spear, and Elemental Hero Woodsman (4/1000/2000) resembled a green hulk with half his body turned to wood. "I'll also put a card face down and end my turn."

Suddenly a flame sprouted from the ground and circled Lady Heat; she absorbed the energy and sprayed a stream of fire directly at Keiju. "I forgot to mention… Lady Heat deals damage to you during my End Phase equal to 200 times the number of Elemental Heroes on my field." Bryan 8000: Keiju 8000 – 600 = 7400.

"I know," Keiju said calmly. Then he drew his card. "I'll summon Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV4 (4/1600/1000)." The dragon, which resembled a large, metal pigeon, perched itself in front of Bryan's Heroes. "He'll target your Lady Heat (1300)." Bryan's facedown card was a feint that couldn't stop Horus's black flame from destroying Lady Heat. "I'll place two cards face down, and then during _my_ End Phase, Horus evolves into Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6 (6/2300/1600)." Bryan 8000 – 300 = 7700: Keiju 7400. His sparrow-like dragon grew into a much larger, metallic eagle.

"That's a big dragon," Bryan noted. "And I'm a little limited on cards at the moment, seeing as I spent most of them during that first turn." He drew his card. "But here's the good news: During my Standby Phase, Ocean lets me bring Lady Heat back to my hand from the Graveyard, and Woodsman lets me take Polymerization from my deck to my hand. That's something, right? And now I'll summon Elemental Hero Stratos (4/1800/300)." A blue-skinned man with white pants, a blue breastplate, and wings with two gyros on his back swooped from the sky and hovered in front of Bryan. "When he's summoned, I get to destroy as many facedown cards as I have Elemental Heroes." Stratos buzzed past Keiju's field and destroyed both his facedown cards.

"And now… why wouldn't I play Polymerization to fuse Ocean and Woodsman into Elemental Hero Terra Firma (8/2500/2000)?" The new Elemental Hero was massive and white, and he had a blue gem on each shoulder and his forehead, plus a red gem on his chest. "He's stronger than your spell-canceling dragon."

Keiju's strategy wasn't a secret on campus; he'd used it dozens of times in his four years. The highest level of Horus the Black Flame Dragon came with the ability to negate his opponent's spells; Elemental Heroes need a lot of spells for support, and so it was no surprise Bryan was playing to take Horus out early. Terra Firma planted a powerful fist on the breast of Keiju's dragon.

"Now you're wide open for a direct assault from Stratos (1800)." The Hero buzzed Keiju's field again and struck him directly. Bryan 7700: Keiju 7400 – 200 – 1800 = 5400.

"You're a tough opponent," Keiju admitted, "but the whole purpose of this duel is to see if you can use a lockdown strategy." He already expected Bryan could beat him in a straight duel, but if Bryan was going to use an unfamiliar strategy, Keiju might have a shot; the alternative is Bryan never gets the strategy ready and can't join the team, anyway.

"Here's a strategy I'm sure you _weren't_ ready for. I'll play Change of Heart to take control of Terra Firma (2500)." A small woman with one angelic wing and one demonic wing appeared on the field, then she possessed the body of Terra Firma, turning his aura black and moving him to Keiju's side of the field.

"That card's off the ban list?" Bryan asked.

"Probably just for this week," Keiju replied. "I'm surprised you don't read the ban list every day."

"I don't change my deck very often," Bryan confessed. "Anyway, do what you will with my monster so I can have it back at the end of the turn."

"I don't think so. First I'll have Terra Firma (2500) attack your Stratos (1800). Then I'll send your monster to the Graveyard as a Tribute to summon Jinzo (6/2400/1500)." Bryan's monster disappeared, and in its place appeared a tall and lanky, mechanical man wearing a green coat and with his cerebrum exposed to the air. His glassy eyes shone with a red light. "As long as he's on the field, we can neither use nor activate any Traps."

"I think I know how Jinzo works by now," Bryan muttered. To himself, he thought, _No Traps? You've got to be kidding me!_

"Good. I'll end my turn." Bryan 7700 – 700 = 7000: Keiju 5400.

"No Traps," Bryan noted as he drew. "Then I'll have to play Graceful Charity to draw three cards and discard two. I'll also play Miracle Fusion to fuse Ocean and Woodsman in my Graveyard into Elemental Hero Absolute Zero (8/2500/2000)." Bryan's new monster was coated in white armor and bore a white cape that billowed in the frosty air. "He's strong enough to destroy your Jinzo (2400) and return Traps to the formula."

"For now," Keiju replied.

"Yeah, yeah. Take your turn." Bryan 7000: Keiju 5400 – 100 = 5300.

Keiju drew. "Excellent. I'll play Level Modulation to revive Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6 (2300)." A die appeared on the field showing the number six, and the eagle-like dragon reappeared on the field. "Then I'll play Level Up! This automatically evolves my beast into Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8 (8/3000/1800)." When Horus evolved, it grew even larger; it was a metallic, somewhat avian dragon with most of its weight in its hindquarters and tail. "As long as he remains on the field, I get to choose which Spells get activated."

"I know your strategy," Bryan said.

"Good. I'll set another card and set a monster."

"No attack?" Bryan asked. Keiju said he wasn't interested. "Good. Then I'll play Skyscraper 2 – Hero City!" A futuristic city with domed towers and spires atop high skyscrapers sprouted across the field. Atop the skyscraper directly in front of Bryan stood Elemental Hero Stratos (1800). "Using the effect of Hero City, I can Special Summon any Elemental Hero that was destroyed by battle, and using Stratos's effect when he is summoned, I can take an Elemental Hero from my deck and put it in my hand. I choose Elemental Hero Knospe (3/600/1000)." Bryan summoned his heroic plant bud as soon as he retrieved it from the deck. This Hero was a bipedal plant bud with fronds for feet, buds for hands and a head, and two more fronds off its back like a scarf.

"That's odd," Keiju noted. "An Elemental Hero that is a plant and not a warrior?"

"Knospe is less well known," Bryan admitted. "But it's still got an awesome effect; if there's another Hero on my field, you can't attack Knospe and it gets to attack directly." Knospe disappeared into the ground, then a sprout suddenly popped up on Keiju's side of the field and damaged him before a Bugs Bunny-like molehill traveled back to Bryan's side of the field. "Of course, that was pointless, anyway. I'll attack Horus (3000) with Absolute Zero (2500)." His frosty monster lunged at Horus, but the dragon countered by releasing a spray of black flame. When Absolute Zero exploded, icicles pelted Horus and Keiju's facedown monster, destroying both. "And now you're wide open, anyway." Stratos (1800) flew by again and attacked Keiju directly. Bryan 7000 – 500 = 6500: Keiju 4800 – 600 – 1800 = 2400.

Keiju noticed at that point that Bryan's new monster seemed to bloom just a little bit. Knospe (+700/-900) gained 100 AP and lost 100 DP when it attacked. If left unchecked, that effect would result in a lot of direct attack damage.

"You are an incredibly lucky duelist," Keiju noted. "Of all the ways to destroy Horus before he could be a threat, you _just happened_ to draw Miracle Fusion."

"Better off lucky than good, I always say."

"Clearly." Keiju wondered what he might do. Bryan didn't have any big monsters on the field, but Knospe was going to grow stronger each turn. "I'll play Call of the Haunted to revive my Jinzo (2400)." Mist rose from Keiju's Graveyard and solidified into the mechanical body of Jinzo. "I'll summon Masked Dragon (3/1400/1100) and attack both your monsters." Jinzo held his hands together to generate electricity, then whipped his hands forward to destroy Stratos (1800), and the masked dragon—a small, white wyvern with a red underside—pounced on Knospe (700). "I'll set a card and end my turn." Bryan 6500 – 600 – 700 = 5200: Keiju 2400.

"Good call. I'll use Hero City's effect to bring Knospe (600) back to the field." His monster sprouted back to the field. "Now I'll play my facedown Rose Bud; it lets me replace Knospe with Elemental Hero Poison Rose (6/1900/2000)." Bryan's bud bloomed very suddenly, and from its flower sprouted a woman with floral hair and frond-like clothing.

"I haven't seen you use this card, either."

"She's the big key in my lockdown strategy." Keiju asked if he was serious. "Yes. I could win more easily without her, but I want to show you that I have and can use a lockdown strategy. For that, I just need to summon one more card: Twilight Rose Knight (3/1000/1000)." A woman with blue hair wearing a purple suit of armor and a lavender cape pointed her sword at Keiju as if to threaten him.

"That card, I'm more familiar with," Keiju said.

"Good. Then you know that as long as Twilight Rose is on the field, you cannot select another plant as an attack target. And as long as Poison Rose is on the field, you cannot attack _anything_ except her. With both those effects active, you can't attack."

"Hence, your lockdown strategy." Bryan tapped his nose to signal a correct answer. "Very good. You actually found a lockdown strategy with Elemental Heroes."

"I did. But you know that I hate waiting to end a duel, so I'll play Parallel World Fusion." A bright light shone at the top of the field, and Ocean and Woodsman returned to the game—specifically to Bryan's deck. "This card lets me fuse two monsters that have been removed from play by putting them back in my deck."

"You're going to use Terra Firma again?"

"Nope."

"Ah. Absolute Zero, then."

Bryan shook his head. "I've got a different plan this time. Terra Firma requires these specific monsters, and Ocean takes point to create Absolute Zero. I'm going to let Woodsman take point here."

"I'm not sure what that means."

"It means my monster combine into Elemental Hero Gaia (6/+3400/2600)." Poison Rose and Twilight Rose were joined by Gaia, a Hero taller than any to hit the field yet, wearing black armor that doubled the Hero's natural weight. "And when Gaia is summoned, Jinzo (-1200) loses half his AP while Gaia absorbs them. And now, Gaia will destroy Jinzo." As Gaia walked across the field, every step he took left a new crater in the ground. Finally, he reached his hand down on top of Jinzo and fired a burst of kinetic energy from his wrists, crushing Jinzo completely. "Now Poison Rose (1900) can destroy Masked Dragon (1400)." She scattered poisonous spores across the field; they poisoned the Masked Dragon and turned it purple before it faded. Bryan 5200: Keiju 2400 – 2200 – 500 = 0.

As the holograms faded, Keiju conceded the duel. "Your lockdown strategy really didn't do anything in that duel."

"But I played it!" Bryan reminded him.

"That's true," he had to admit. "I'll let Numbers know that you do, in fact, have a lockdown strategy in your Elemental Hero deck."

"Awesome. Will it happen before the School Duel?"

"My talking to Numbers will happen before the School Duel. She might decide to wait until afterward to approach you."

"Why? It's not like she can participate again. She already dueled against Hawkins last year, and students only get to be in the School Duel once during their Academy years."

"True. But Matt dueled Godwin last year, meaning you are now the highest-ranked, available student. Numbers might think _you_ should focus on the School Duel instead of working to change your deck just to join our team."

Bryan scoffed messy-raspberry style. "We'll figure something out. You just tell Numbers to come see me about a Lockdown badge."

* * *

_This chapter doesn't make me happy. The events were pretty necessary, but it turned out so long considering how little was accomplished. Starting with the next chapter I'm going to use a slightly different writing voice. I think it will help make events more cohesive and the inclusion of characters much easier._

_On a brighter note, the duel went pretty well even though Bryan stopped Keiju from setting up his Horus Lockdown. The point I wanted to make there was that Bryan was a stronger duelist when he dueled normally and that using a lockdown strategy actually required effort on his part--it doesn't come naturally to his playing style.  
_

_Credits:_  
_Darius Mantzios....tiramisu19_  
_Jason Maxim....Maxim and Knight_  
_Nathan Zislaw....Mavrik Zero_  
_Hillary Delaney....Nodqfan144_  
_Lili Von....Happy2BMe_  
_Carter Jade....Jaden2010  
Mitsuro Itachu....Titanic X  
Sean Bivins....DarkVestroia2_  
_Naoto Kurotsuki....Kurotsuki Haru_  
_Hayley Wilson....TeamRocketDiva_  
_Maikeru Stone....onyxshade7  
Victor Rocks....Iron-Arm-V_  
_Alister Kazama & Jessica Parks....ZaneKazama001_  
_Synthia Spencer.....Madly Chessur_  
_Everyone else so far....YamiRuss_


	9. A Day in the Life of Cary

Chapter 9: A Day in the Life of Cary

Duel Academy, like so many colleges, had a student-driven school paper. Unlike other colleges, the paper was called _The Daily Duelist_. Yeah, maybe it's not all that creative, but what do you expect from a founder who named the school "Duel Academy"?

Cary was trying to finish up her article on part-time jobs available for students when someone stepped up behind her and called her name. She wasn't really paying attention because she was trying to finish before she forgot what she wanted to say, but she could tell it wasn't a regular reporter or editor because they always start talking right away.

"Part-time jobs? This is your big article of the week?"

Without looking up, Cary said, "I'll be with you in a minute, Matt. I just want to finish this thought."

Matt simply watched and waited for thirty full seconds as she typed away at light speed. "I just wanted to—"

"Finish a thought," she interrupted him and continued typing.

After another thirty seconds went by and she was still clacking away at the keyboard, Matt asked, "What are you writing? The Magna Carta?"

"Just sit over there," Cary snapped. She didn't actually point anywhere, but Matt noticed the green couch just a few feet away. When he sat on it, he could actually see into five cubicles pretty easily, but he only watched Cary's to see when she'd finally stop tapping away at the keyboard.

Finally she stopped typing, looked over what she wrote, and spun around in her chair so she could see Matt. "Is this a long favor you want to ask, or a short one?"

"A short one." She spun back to her computer, typed a few more keys, saved the file in two locations, then spun back around and stood up to stretch her legs while she spoke with Matt.

"How's the article coming?"

Cary scoffed at him. "I thought you said this would be a short one."

He made a face and asked, "How do you have time to do all the things I ask you to do when you're so busy?"

"It varies depending on the day of the week," she reminded him. "We print twice weekly and tomorrow's one of them. Besides, you're one to talk about being busy. How do you have time to come here and chat me up about the school paper?"

"I told Dr. West that I needed about an hour to come here and try to recruit you to Team OTK."

Cary folded her arms across her chest and put on a hidden smile. "It's about time." Then she asked, "Wait. Why do you need an hour for that?"

"I told him I had no idea how long a duel with you would take, so I just asked for an hour off. He's actually very flexible with the schedule most of the time; as long as I finish up these lectures by the end of the month, he doesn't mind letting me put it off a little. He's not going to use them until next semester's class."

But Cary had a look of disgust on her face. Matt was hesitant to ask why. "You were going to make me duel you? I've already dueled you a dozen times. You know how I duel. I've even beaten you once."

"I didn't say I was going to duel you. I told Dr. West I didn't know how long a duel with you would take. It was just an excuse for me to get out of the office for a little while and take a nap. You think anyone will mind if I confiscate this couch for a while? It's actually rather cushy." He yawned and stretched himself out across the couch with his feet propped up on the arm rest.

"Really? You just came here to take a nap? How can you sleep someplace public like this, and one so noisy?"

"Work has me exhausted," he replied. "I can sleep anywhere."

"What makes you think I won't draw on your face while you sleep?" He admitted he had no defense against such a possibility except that she was too busy to spend time on such a juvenile prank. She admitted he might be right. "Did you at least bring an OTK badge to prove you were going to let me join regardless of the outcome of a duel?"

He already got comfortable on the couch and had his eyes closed. "It's in my back pocket. I'll get it when I get up."

Cary stepped up and reached into his pocket anyway. "I'm not afraid of your ass," she told him. She did take notice, though, that it was pretty much as solid as Kasumi described it to her. The OTK badge was a little patch with ornate, golden letters that could be sewn onto a Duel Academy jacket. Most members, Matt included, wore it on the left shoulder. She could probably have it sewn on by the weekend, but she'd have to wait for Matt to awaken before he could tell her officially when the first meeting is. Then again, she was pretty well informed about campus activities, and her best friend was an intimate part of Matt's schedule, besides; she knew how to find out when and where Matt goes for OTK meetings.

She let Matt sleep and returned to her desk. As she returned to her article, her editor Jerry McCulloch walked over to ask her about her article. Before he starting talking, he noticed Matt lying on the couch with his eyes closed. He pushed aside his curiosity about Dr. West's assistant taking a nap in his newsroom and turned his attention to Cary.

Softly, he asked, "How's it coming?"

"Why are you whispering?" she asked in her normal voice. "I slipped him some Benedryl. He's not going to wake up for a while."

Jerry didn't realize she was making a joke, which is just as well because Cary thought that was funny, too. Instead, he took another look at Matt before asking Cary if she needed a round of editing before the four o'clock deadline.

"I doubt it," she replied. She sped through another minute of typing and loudly clapped the desk when she reached the end and hit the "Print" button. "That's lunch." She stood and threw her notebooks into her bag, then she patted Jerry on the shoulder and said, "The article is on the printer." On her way out, she smacked Matt's butt just like a football player and said, "Thanks for the badge."

Cary's lunch on Thursdays usually involved meeting Lucy and Kasumi at the blue dining hall. Kasumi didn't have immediate access to the building, but as long as she joined up with either of her blue-resident friends, she was allowed into the building without issue. At least she developed thick enough skin to ignore any comments some of the less mature residents who lacked appropriate respect for lower-ranked students.

Cary walked into the dining hall without her blue jacket, instead wearing a purple sweater atop her blue skirt.

"Where's your jacket?" Kasumi asked her.

"I dropped it off at the bookstore. One of the people in the clothing section is going to sew my new OTK badge onto the shoulder for me."

"You made it in?" Lucy asked and congratulated her friend.

"It wasn't a big stretch," Cary pointed out. "I do have an 'in' with the guy in charge."

"So do I," Kasumi replied, "but I didn't get invited."

"He's just worried that doing so will seem like nepotism," Cary commented. And she was absolutely correct; Kasumi didn't do much in her duels in terms of one-turn-kills. Besides, Kas wasn't exactly eager to join the team. She didn't like it when Matt gave her advice on adjusting her deck, and she really didn't like the idea of being in a group where she was inferior to him. "You have easy access to him, anyway."

"Well, it's not easy," Kas admitted, citing his busy schedule, "but we make it work." She took a bite from her plate and then asked Lucy, "How's Bryan? I saw him flirting with Numbers Harper this morning."

"That's not news," Lucy said. "He tends to flirt with everyone. And he's sucking up to Numbers lately because he really wants to get on Team Lockdown."

"It didn't seem like the 'sucking up' kind of flirting."

"Don't worry about it," Lucy assured her. "Bryan is… hesitant. He's used to flirting and dating around. I'm the longest-lasting girlfriend he's ever had. He's just worried about committing."

"Exhibit A in the world of men," Cary commented dryly.

Kas suggested, "Maybe you should write an article about men." Cary reminded her that the school paper doesn't have a "personals" section and that article would only cover about two hundred words, besides.

"What you _should_ write about," Lucy offered, "is that Ghost Duelist everyone keeps talking about."

"You're probably right," Cary agreed. "It will go well in my article about the unicorn and yeti infestations that have been spotted in the locker rooms at the gym. And the ones about Sarah Palin's daughter with the 200 IQ." Sarcasm came easily to her.

"Jason is convinced the Ghost Duelist is real."

Kasumi asked, "Who's Jason?" Lucy described to her Jason Maxim, one of the freshman prefects who Lucy was tutoring so he could understand the use and versatility of spell counters a little better. "I'll bet Bryan loves you spending so much time with another guy."

"Bryan's part of the problem. He keeps telling Jason he's an idiot, and he always tries to look even bigger than he already is when Jason's around."

"Men do that to look intimidating," Cary said. "And Bryan's obviously threatened by Jason. Even if you think Bryan has commitment problems, Jason wouldn't bother him so much if Bryan didn't think you might have a crush on the freshman."

Lucy suddenly blushed and looked down at the table. "Well, I think Jason has a little crush on me." Kas asked why she thought that. Lucy suddenly became very coy and reluctant to offer any more information.

With a somewhat panicked expression on her face caused by all the thoughts that sprung to mind, Cary asked, "Did you sleep with Jason?"

"No!" Lucy eagerly replied. "We just… we almost kissed."

"You _almost_ kissed?" Kasumi repeated.

Lucy nodded. "That means something, doesn't it?"

"Of course," Cary said. "In junior high." Realizing the situation was nothing significant, she returned to her food. Kasumi picked up the conversation, though.

"Is he cute?"

Lucy sighed. "Yes, he's cute. But it's just because he seems so sweet and pays a lot of attention to me. I guess there are times when I worry that Bryan flirts with other girls because he's not that interested in me."

"It sounds like he's not the only one with commitment problems," Cary said. "If you're worried about Bryan, talk to Matt. Tell him what you're thinking and what you want to find out that Bryan's not saying. He'll talk to Bryan for you, _and_ he'll be discreet about it."

"They're basically the same person," Kasumi replied. "If you kissed Matt, I don't think that would count as cheating. Not that I'm suggesting you do it."

Cary argued, "That's not true. Matt is dependable and he knows how to keep a secret even from Bryan." Her words trailed off at the end as Mitsuro Itachu approached the table at high speeds and with heavy steps. She wore her uniform as usual, but the collar and her hair were in slight disarray, suggesting her quickened pace lasted longer than just since she entered the dining hall.

Mitsuro pounded her hands down on the table and said, "I just heard that your name was bounced around as a School Duel participant."

Cary made a face as she took her hand off her glass, which she grabbed to prevent it from falling over when Mitsuro landed. "So what? They considered me last year, too, before Matt beat me for the spot."

"Last year they specifically wanted a freshman. This year it's supposed to go to whoever's better. The rumor is the Godwin representative is using a deck of uncommon but very powerful cards. That describes my deck perfectly!"

"Mine, too," Cary argued. Then she noted, "Actually, it seems like everyone on this campus has a unique deck… or at least uses unique cards. What are the odds no one else on campus but Bryan would use Elemental Heroes?"

"They're tough to win with," Lucy pointed out.

Mitsuro returned them to the topic. "You don't even have time to be the Duel Academy representative. You've got articles to write and homework to do for all your advanced classes."

"I still have time to duel," Cary countered. "It is called _Duel_ Academy. Why do you want it so badly?"

"I'm applying for a Navy grant next year, and having the School Duel victory under my belt vastly improves the odds of getting it."

"Is this about that boat picture on the wall in your office?" Lucy asked.

Mitsuro looked at her and said, "It's not a 'boat'; it's a ship. And yes, I am trying to add as many points to my resume as I can to improve my chances of getting on the crew. Why else would I be resident advisor to a bunch of students who couldn't care less about a resident advisor?"

Cary pointed out, "You're not the only one who could benefit from more resume points. But I'll be happy to settle this the Duel Academy way."

"Fine." Mitsuro reached in her bag and pulled out her cards. "Let's duel."

Cary made a face. "Not _now_. I'm eating here, and I have to run back to the newsroom to check on my article and make sure Matt got out okay."

"Matt's in the newsroom?" Kasumi repeated. Cary relayed that Matt wanted a nap and used the Team OTK recruitment as an excuse to get out of the administration building and away from his office.

Returning to Mitsuro, Cary offered, "Either hit me up after dinner tonight or take the time to fill out a proper 'Duel Request' form."

"Fair enough," Mitsuro admitted. "After dinner, then. We'll meet in front of the RA office." Cary agreed, and Mitsuro apologized for interrupting lunch.

Kasumi leaned forward and asked, "Do you really have time for the School Duel?"

"Absolutely. I was frustrated earlier because I was passed over for the chance to write the article covering the duel, but now I have a perfect in: an article from the perspective of the Duel Academy representative. After the article I wrote last year about the Shadow Realm, this one will be an excellent addition to my portfolio."

"What's Bryan going to think when he finds out you want to duel in his place?"

"He'll do the honorable thing and stand aside if he knows what's good for him," Cary joked. "So this Ghost Duelist…" Cary said suddenly, changing the subject so she wouldn't have to clarify her vague threat. "Did Jason say what kind of deck he uses?"

Lucy answered, "Some kind of zombie deck. He supposed to be really good, but only a couple of people have seen him so far. He dueled two freshmen simultaneously and beat them both. Ty and Clyde Something-or-other."

"A trained monkey could beat those two," Cary replied. "Does anyone know what this Ghost Duelist looks like?"

"No one's gotten a good look at him. He sticks to the shadows, like so many mystery duelists."

"Did they track his Duel Disk?" No one had an answer for that. Cary smirked. "Well, there's a good place to start. They can find out if there's even a real person on the other end of Ty and Clyde's story." She finished chugging her glass of water and grabbed her tray. "Well, I am headed back to the newsroom for a bit. I will see you, Kas, in class later, and I will see you, Lucy, whenever I get back to my room this evening."

The class to which Cary referred was a general education course focused on psychology. The course included introductions to some of the biggest names and events in psychology's history, but it had a special focus on social psychological concepts because the professor, Dr. Sasha Kerr, was a social psychologist by trade and held a bias toward her discipline. Mostly the class was a 200-level course attended by sophomores, but it was not uncommon for people to put it off and take it junior year.

Even though seating was not assigned, Cary usually sat in the same seat anyway, next to Kasumi and Darius. Cary and Kas were roommates in the Red Dorm freshman year, and she got to know Darius when he became Matt's roommate during the same year. The class was also attended by a particularly rambunctious group of Yellow duelists centered on Vic Rocks. He was still riled up by the idea of a Ghost Duelist somewhere on the island who was better than both of his flunkies Ty and Clyde. He was discussing the issue heatedly with his friend/rival Abel Shinzou, a black student who looked more like a basketball player than a duelist.

Was it possible this guy was a real ghost, or were Ty and Clyde just idiots… Better question: Was it possible this guy was a ghost _despite_ the fact that Ty and Clyde are idiots? How would a ghost manage to duel? Does he play invisible cards? Was his big trump card called Casper?

"Would both of you shut up?" Hayley Wilson screamed. She gave them a particularly dirty look and her voice was a little strained, like it was lower in pitch than usual. "Stop talking or I'll eat your children."

"What's your problem?" Vic shouted back. "If you've got a problem, why don't we duel it out?" He whipped out his Duel Disk and turned it on. Hayley reached for her own deck.

"Don't start a duel now," Dr. Kerr interrupted. "Class is about to begin. Play High Card or something short." She sighed to herself as she gingerly sat in her chair. "Cary. Could I speak to you for a moment?" Cryptic, but Cary just hoped it didn't have anything to do with the thirty pounds Dr. Kerr was putting on.

Kasumi was still watching Hayley and Vic circle one another like two dogs in the park. "Hayley's awfully bitchy lately. You think she's on her period?"

"Twelve days out of the month?" Cary pointed out. She suggested as a more likely situation, "She's probably bipolar and refuses to take her meds." She left Kasumi to enjoy the show while she went to find out what Dr. Kerr wanted.

Dr. Kerr spoke more softly when Cary approached the table at the front of the classroom. "I'm getting ready to go on leave," she explained. Cary could understand that; Dr. Kerr was starting to arch her back so much she looked like she was in permanent yoga mode.

"Is everything okay?" Cary asked.

"Oh, sure. Everything's fine. It's just getting harder to get up and down all the time."

"You're probably also responsible for the drastic drop in milk on the island." Dr. Kerr chuckled at the part-joke, part-pregnant woman commentary.

"Erica Dawkins is going to cover a few of my classes while I'm gone. I wanted to ask if you would consider being a teaching assistant. I know you are busy with your own things, which is why it's perfectly alright to say 'no.' But Erica is also pretty busy and could use the extra help from my best student. It wouldn't be for this class, of course, but for the dueling classes you took last year. And particularly for the technical writing class."

"Well, sure," Cary agreed. "You probably considered Sean after that essay he wrote on god's grudge against New Orleans, but I'm sure the deciding factor was that I've never misspelled my own name."

"Is that a 'yes'?"

Cary nodded and said, "I like Erica. I'm happy to help."

Dr. Kerr put on a big smile. "I'm so glad to hear it. Let me give her email address so you two can get together and discuss how you want to do things."

"I've already it," Cary said. "I did date her roommate for a little while. We used to hang out." She felt compelled to admit coyly, "She may have already told me that you were going to ask me to be her assistant, and so I've already had time to think about it and try to figure out my schedule."

"Well, that ambition is why I feel confident leaving you two in charge."

Cary started to head back to her seat, but then she stopped and looked back at her temporary teacher. "Who's replacing you for this class?"

"Dr. Apple volunteered. He's also got a psychology degree."

"Any chance I could suck up to you more? His tests are always full of trick questions."

"I'm still writing the tests," Dr. Kerr assured her. "And he's still going to teach according to the agenda you received at the beginning of the semester." That was a relief. Dr. Apple was known for his tendency to wander off topic and ask questions about that tangent just to find out who was listening during class and who zoned out. He also liked to ask questions about information contained in the addendum boxes in the text book—you know; those little bits of information in the Tables and Figures that aren't actually part of the main text.

Cary replied, "Thank god for email."

Cary spent the rest of the day in class and made a quick trip to the gym before meeting up with some friends for dinner. Afterward, she headed back to the Blue Mansion to finish some homework and give Erica a call about how she wants Cary to do the assistant gig.

Each of the suites in the Blue Mansion was a collection of three large dorm rooms alongside a common bathroom. One of Cary's suitemates was Naoko Kojima. She was a beautiful, mirror-wielding student who was fairly content to be just _among_ the best duelists in the school as long as she got to remain the most attractive. When Naoko wasn't around, Cary referred to her as "Mirror, Mirror" in reference to the witch from _Snow White and the Seven Dwarves_. And Naoko was a very physically attractive woman, but her snobbish attitude stopped even Bryan from hitting on her; what does that tell you?

Speaking of Bryan, Cary's other suitemate was Lucy, and Bryan was standing outside her closed door at the moment trying to peer in through the keyhole, which was inside the knob and provided as much visibility into the room as a cow's rectum.

"If you're trying to find your marbles," Cary suggested, "I'd start by looking somewhere bigger."

"Very funny," Bryan muttered. "Lucy's in there with another guy."

Now Cary was intrigued. "You mean _with_ another guy?" Then she realized what was more likely happening: Lucy was probably having one of her tutoring sessions with Jason and Bryan was just getting in the way. Lucy mentioned earlier that Jason's lack of confidence stems from people calling him an idiot all the time.

"Well, he is!" Bryan insisted. "But he _isn't_ unconfident."

"What do you mean?"

"I think the little weasel is trying to steal Lucy from me."

Cary chuckled. "Well, women love it when their boyfriends play the 'paranoid' card, so if you want to stay on Lucy's good side, I suggest you find a new hobby than treating a locked doorknob like a kaleidoscope."

"I'm not paranoid. I _know_ what horny little guys like that are thinking."

"It takes one to know one."

Bryan huffed when he realized he set that up, but he wasn't discouraged. He knew he was right about Jason even if there was no proof, and no matter how many times Lucy threw him out for interrupting their tutoring sessions, he would find out exactly what Jason was really up to. The little punk didn't seem threatened by Bryan, but maybe the kid's roommate knew what he was planning. A little shakedown on Clinton could be fun; it'd been a while since Bryan hogtied someone.

"Lucy also wanted me to tell you that you can't do this upcoming School Duel."

"Why not?" Bryan wondered aloud, not really caring enough to turn around.

"I want it. If I go ahead and do it this year, I can write a first-person narrative of the School Duel for the paper and really get my reputation set early."

"I thought that thing you did last year about the Shadow Realm experience built your reputation." Cary admitted that was true, but she wanted something new to work on. Besides, a lot of people still thought the Shadow Realm piece was exaggerated and a work of fiction; not a lot of people believed in the Shadow Realm these days.

"That's fine," Bryan conceded.

Cary look surprised. "That was easier than I expected. Did Lucy hit you in the head when she threw you out?"

"Matt and I talked to Garry Daher earlier." Garry was the Godwin representative at last year's School Duel. He dueled against Matt with an Infernity deck and almost won; it was one of the toughest decks Matt ever faced. "He said the representative they have this year is nowhere near as good as he was. I'd rather wait for a higher class of opponent. Or my senior year; whatever comes first."

"Fair enough," Cary replied. When Bryan asked if the weak opponent bothered her, she told him, "It's not the opponent is _weak_; just weaker than Garry. He's obviously good enough to climb to the top of Godwin's duel chain."

"Well, have fun with that," Bryan said and resumed peering through Lucy's doorknob.

Cary just shook her head and went into her room and propped the door open just slightly. She was in there for maybe twenty minutes when the door burst open all the way and the intimidating visage of Mitsuro Itachu stood in the doorway. Standing tall and with her hands on her hips to make her seem as big and broad as possible, she smiled at Cary. "It's time to duel."

Cary scoffed. "What a cliché." But she promised, and so she grabbed her Duel Disk and followed Mitsuro outside.

"Dr. Lankford is using the arena downstairs, so we're going to find a room in Marufuji Hall," Mitsuro explained. Cary wondered why not duel outside; that's what Duel Disks are for. Mitsuro pointed out that it was too windy today. They could lose their cards in a poorly timed breeze and that wouldn't be helpful for anyone.

The Marufuji building was where most of Cary's classes were located, including the social psyc class from earlier today. It didn't have a duel arena, but like Cary pointed out, that's what Duel Disks were for. All they had to do was find one of the ground-floor classrooms with a flat floor. Being somewhat of a neat freak and a lot smarter than anyone realized, Cary picked up a wadded up paper towel on the floor in the hallway and said she'd be right back. She stepped over to the janitor's closet and opened the door.

Vic and Hayley were both in the closet with his shirt off and her jacket open in the front. Cary just said, "Excuse me," and threw the paper towel into the large trash bin before shutting the door and joining Mitsuro in the classroom for a duel.

* * *

_I'll pick up from here next week. I've been awfully busy, which I'm sure most of you can identify with. Sometimes, it's just hard to find time to sit down and write out a duel, especially with concept decks (i.e., cards I don't actually own). __Rest assured my delays are not through writer's block (fortunately); it's all my being too busy to write (and sometimes being unsure how to word something). __I promise to try my best to get another chapter out next week to make up for the delay. I think it will have two duels in it, starting with Cary vs. Mitsuro._

_Why does everyone always seem to want their male characters to be six feet tall? These are duelists, not basketball players. Even Matt is only five-foot-eight._

_Credits:_  
_Darius Mantzios....tiramisu19_  
_Jason Maxim....Maxim and Knight_  
_Nathan Zislaw....Mavrik Zero_  
_Hillary Delaney....Nodqfan144_  
_Lili Von....Happy2BMe_  
_Carter Jade....Jaden2010  
Mitsuro Itachu....Titanic X  
Sean Bivins....DarkVestroia2_  
_Naoto Kurotsuki....Kurotsuki Haru_  
_Hayley Wilson....TeamRocketDiva_  
_Maikeru Stone....onyxshade7  
Victor Rocks....Iron-Arm-V_  
_Abel Shinzou....Iron-Arm-V_  
_Alister Kazama & Jessica Parks....ZaneKazama001_  
_Synthia Spencer.....Madly Chessur_  
_Everyone else so far....YamiRuss_


	10. Conflict in the Academy

Chapter 10: Conflict in the Academy

"When we're done here," Mitsuro said, "you'll withdraw from consideration for the School Duel?"

"If you win," Cary specified. She wasn't just going to withdraw _regardless_ of the outcome. She had to be persuaded by a stronger duelist. And the opening game didn't bode well for Mitsuro; her paper was beaten by Cary's scissors, giving Cary the first turn in the duel.

"I'll start things off with Dragunity Tribus (1/500/300)." When Cary placed her card on her Duel Disk, a holographic man appeared on the field, adorned in blue and white robes. He wore a cowl over his head and face that looked like that of a bird, and he had enormous wings on his back.

"A Dragunity monster?" Mitsuro asked. She had heard of them, of course, but they were hard to find, and even harder to build a deck around.

"I have connections," Cary replied. "Anyway, summoning Tribus enables me to send a low-level dragon from my deck to the Graveyard." She discarded Dragunity Phalanx (2). "I'll set one card and end my turn."

"Good. My turn," Mitsuro announced.

Cary was already eager to play a Trap. "Trap Dustshoot lets me see your hand because you have more than four cards, then send a monster back to your deck. You do have a monster, don't you?" Mitsuro revealed her hand, which had four monsters in it. "Good."

As rare as Cary's cards were, Mitsuro's were even rarer. She held Assault Ship, Helicopter Support Squad, Destroyer Class – USS Guardian, Reinforcement Forces, Upgrade, and Resupply. These were cards with a naval theme, granted to the winner of a scholarship offered by the US Navy. Cary opted to send Light Assault Ship back to the deck.

"Fine. I'll set a monster and a card."

"Really?" Cary asked. "I thought you'd be launching attacks at me left and right the way you came barging up to me at lunch."

"There's still time."

That was hardly threatening from Cary's view. "I'll summon Dragunity Partisan (2/1200/800)." This monster was a small, purple dragon with a gold underbelly and a headdress that looked like the blade of a broadsword. "When I summon Partisan, I get to Special Summon from my hand any winged-beast Dragunity monster; I'll summon Dragunity Angusticlavii (5/2100/1000)." This man looked like an archer wearing wings and a headdress as from a red and blue phoenix. He wore a bow across his shoulder. Then the purple dragon wrapped itself around Angusticlavii's arm. "When I summon a monster through Partisan's effect, Partisan becomes an equip card. In this way, Angus gets to inflict piercing damage when he attacks." Angusticlavii brandished his bow and nocked an arrow; Partisan energized the arrow. Angus released the arrow, and it pierced the facedown ship on Mitsuro's field.

"When my Assault Ship (4/1500/1200) is flipped, it leaves behind two Assault Tokens (2/1000/1000)." They looked like fairly large bullet shells. "I'll also play Reinforcement Forces, which lets me summon two more Assault Tokens."

Cary noted the Tokens and decided not to continue attacking. Cary 8000: Mitsuro 8000 – 900 = 7100.

Mitsuro drew and put a smile on her face. "I'll offer an Assault Token as Tribute to summon Destroyer Class – USS Defender (5/2400/2400)." The ship that floated onto her field was designed like an _Arleigh Burke_ class ship; it was a white ship, well armed with defensive weaponry. "Let's destroy your Dragunity Tribus (500)." Multiple fire from the ship destroyed Cary's monster. Cary 8000 – 1900 = 6100: Mitsuro 7100.

"Then I'll summon Dragunity Dux (4/+2100/1000)." This new monster wore white robes and had almost mechanical wings on his back. Suddenly a blue dragon wearing copper-colored armor along its belly, wings, and head appeared and wrapped around Dux's arm. "Summoning Dux lets me play a low-level Dragunity monster from my Graveyard as a Spell. And Dragunity Phalanx (2/500/1100) can summon itself when it's equipped to another monster."

"You planning to swarm my ship?"

"No. Overpower it." Phalanx began to shine and perched itself on Dux once again. "Phalanx (2) is a tuner monster, and by tuning it to Dux (4), I can summon Dragunity Knight – Gáebolg (6/2000/1100)." The new monster looked like a much larger version of Phalanx, its armor turned white, being ridden by Dux. "I'll have my monster attack your Defender (2400) ship." She removed Dux from her Graveyard to activate her monster's ability. "By removing a winged beast from my Graveyard, Gáebolg (+3500) gains the attack power of the removed monster." Her dragon rider thrust a polearm and the ship and created a hole in the port side, but the ship didn't "sink."

"USS Defender (2400) isn't destroyed in battle by anything with more than 3000 attack points," Mitsuro relayed.

"Then Angus (2100) will destroy another of your Assault Tokens (1000)." Even though it was in defense mode, the Assault Token exploded when hit by Angusticlavii's arrow. Cary set one card to end her turn. Cary 6100: Mitsuro 7100 – 1100 = 6000.

Mitsuro drew. "I'll play Upgrade, a Spell that improves my USS Defender (+2900)." Extra cannons attached to the holographic ship. "But 500 points doesn't make that big a difference. Instead, I'll send Upgrade to the Graveyard to destroy your Angus." The cannons fired with such force they overheated and seemed to self-destruct; the blasts hit Angusticlavii and destroyed him. "Now I'll Tribute another Assault Token to summon Destroyer Class – USS Liberty (5/2000/2300)." This ship was almost identical to the other, but it had a greenish-copper color and fewer weapons. "When this card is summoned, all Spells and Traps are negated for two turns." Guns along the ship's deck loaded, preparing to fire against any Spells or Traps that might activate.

"Great," Cary remarked dryly.

"Defender (2400) can launch an assault on Gáebolg (2000), and then Liberty (2000) can attack you directly." Cary 6100 – 400 – 2000 = 3700: Mitsuro 6000.

"No Spells," Cary noted. "Then I guess I'll set a monster and end my turn."

"On the run already? I'll summon Helicopter Support Squad (4/1300/1200)." Helicopters filled the air in Mitsuro's field. "And now, Liberty (2000) will begin the assault." The ship opened fire on Cary's side of the field.

"I don't suppose your ship launches a rolled up newspaper," Cary commented. "My monster was Flying Kamakiri #1 (4/1400/900). When you destroy that, I get to summon another one to the field in attack mode."

Mitsuro shrugged. "Then I guess Defender (2400) will attack that one, too. At least this time, it's in attack mode."

"That's true," Cary admitted. "But when Flying Kamakiri is destroyed, I get to summon _any _wind monster with 1500 or fewer points. The first time, I just wanted to summon another defensive monster. Now, I'm going to summon a second Dragunity Dux (+1700)." Dux has 1500 original points, which is why it is eligible for Flying Kamakiri's effect, but it gains 200 points for each Dragunity monster on the field, including itself. "And when I summon Dux, I get to equip him with Phalanx from my Graveyard."

"I remember," Mitsuro commented. "That ends my turn." Cary 3700 – 1000 = 2700: Mitsuro 6000.

"Let's try this out," Cary suggested. "First, I'll use Phalanx's ability once again to summon it to the field, and then my two monsters will synchronize into Dragunity Knight – Vajuranda (6/1900/1200)." The result of the tuning was a red dragon with Dragunity Militum as its rider. "When Vajuranda is summoned, I can equip it with a Dragunity monster from the Graveyard, and I choose Phalanx." The blue-and-gold dragon attached itself to Vajuranda's belly. "And when I send any Dragunity monster back to the Graveyard when it is equipped to Vajuranda, it doubles my dragon rider's attack points." Phalanx disappeared again, and Vajuranda (+3800) grew even bigger. "Now let's destroy that Liberty ship."

"That's what my support squad is for," Mitsuro declared. "Any time you select a target on my field, I can shift the effect to my Helicopter Support Squad (1300) to protect my ships." Vajuranda's attack was intercepted by the helicopters, which all crashed after being hit by Vajuranda's spear.

"Okay. That ends my turn." Cary 2700: Mitsuro 6000 – 2500 = 3500.

"I'll summon Destroyer Class – USS Guardian (6/-1200/-1250) straight to the field; per its ability, doing so without Tributes cuts its points in half. And now that Liberty's effect has worn off," Mitsuro reminded, "I can play Resupply, which lets each of us draw until we hold five cards in our hands." Then she grinned. "And I found what I needed. When I remove from play all three of my Destroyer Class ships, I can fuse them into USS Liberation (10/3500/3400)." Mitsuro's brand new, red-white-and-blue ship was so large it made the others look like fishing trawlers.

"That's a big boat," Cary commented.

"It's not a boat; it's a ship," Mitsuro corrected her. "And it's the pride of my little Navy. When summoned, it becomes immune to destruction through battle and, by sending my last Assault Token to the Graveyard, Liberation can attack directly. But the real kicker is when I play Hyper Cannon Blast!" A series of large cannons attached to the ship. "Now USS Liberation (+4500/+4500) grows to 4500 points. Now, about that direct attack…" Liberation opened fire on Cary's field.

"Fortunately, I get to use my Traps again, too," Cary noted. "I'll play Mirror Force to negate your attack and destroy your monster." A reflective wall appeared in front of Mitsuro's massive ship and volleyed back the cannon fire.

"Fortunately for my armada," Mitsuro commented, "USS Liberation can't be destroyed by Traps."

"How convenient. At least your attack was still negated."

"True, but can you find a way to take down my ship?" She set one card to end her turn.

"I think so," Cary agreed. "I'll play One for One; by discarding a monster from my hand, I can summon a Level 1 monster from my deck." A black dragon lay on the field when a ball of energy emerged from its back, revealing a small, gray dragon wearing sky blue armor. "Dragunity Brandistock (1/600/400) is another tuner, and I will combine it with Vajuranda (6) to summon Exploder Dragonwing (7/2400/1600)." This was the first dragon Cary played so far that wasn't a Dragunity monster. It resembled a zombie dragon, with a mere layer of blue skin over its bones; it had a hump on its backside where its wings connected.

"Still not strong enough."

"That's why I'll play Megamorph," Cary replied. An obsidian tablet was embedded in her dragon's breast, doubling its power. "Now, Exploder Dragonwing (+4800) is stronger than your ship." The dragon began to focus energy in its hump while it flew at the Liberation.

"I'll counter with Coastal Defense," Mitsuro said. "The points of all monsters on the field become equal to the highest point total on the field. That means Liberation (+4800) is just as strong as your monster. But my ship can't be destroyed by battle."

"How about a monster effect?" Cary asked. Her dragon released the energy stored in its hump as an explosion that destroyed the skip. But the USS Liberation also opened fire and destroyed Exploder Dragonwing in return. "Whenever my Dragonwing attacks, the opposing monster is immediately destroyed… and you take damage equal to your monster's points." Cary 2700: Mitsuro 3500 – 4800 = 0.

Mitsuro let out an annoyed sigh as she stepped back and sat down in one of the classroom chairs. "Damn it."

Cary nodded. "I know. You really wanted that School Duel spot. But there will be other openings. There's the School Duel in the spring, and you've still got all of next year."

"I heard Bryan only put this School Duel off because it was necessary for his Team Lockdown recruitment. You think I can take him in the spring?"

Cary recalled the conversation she had with Bryan; he was waiting for the strongest duelist someone could come up with. Although they had a good duel program, the Otogi School for the Gaming Arts wasn't exactly known for producing Kings of Games. "I'm sure you'll have a better-than-average chance."

###

"Hey, Matt."

The guy with no free time looked up to see Rory, Lili, and Synthia also walking around the Academy bookstore. He was there to look up the textbooks he would need for the next semester; he presumed they were there to find new shoes. Women were always looking for new shoes, especially at college. Why bother to buy a whole bunch of cards they'll never use when they can buy a pair of shoes for every conceivable occasion? Gym time, parties, formal events, checking the mail…

"Hey, ladies," he replied with a smile brighter than average and a small twinkle in his eye.

"Why are you here so late?" Synthia asked.

Matt explained that he was just looking for his textbooks for the next semester. He already knew which classes he was going to take, and only eight weeks remained before the end of the current semester. The Blue students were given course priority and could register for classes already. Yellow students were given next priority and could register the following week, and Red students were the bottom of the ladder and didn't get to register until only four weeks before finals week.

"I prefer to get my books online," Rory said. "I heard college bookstores always gouge their prices for textbooks."

"Not with the tuition _we_ pay," Matt corrected her. "It's different here because this is a private school. They don't _need_ to charge much more than the publisher's price." Then Matt's phone started buzzing. He checked it and held up one finger to indicate he planned for a short conversation. "Hey, Kas."

Rory sighed loudly and turned away to her friends.

"It seems like Kasumi calls him every time you get within ten yards," Lili commented dryly.

"Maybe she's got him LoJacked," Synthia suggested. "Or she has _you_ LoJacked. You haven't let her near you with any needles or large pieces of machinery, have you?"

"Not without a Mary Shelley joke," Rory assured her. She watched Matt as he tried to explain to Kasumi that the female voices in the background were not a harem, but evidence of the fact that there are women on the island and that some of them know where to find the bookstore.

"I wasn't yelling. I was being snippy," he explained to the phone. "There's a clear difference." He looked to Rory for support.

"Oh, yeah," she agreed, trying to score points. "_Huge_ difference." He smiled at her and continued his conversation with his phone, this time along the lines of Kas's inability to control who Matt sees in a given day. Rory got the feeling she knew where this conversation was going. She slumped in place as Lili and Synthia each put on sympathetic smiles. "I'm pathetic, aren't I?"

"Very," Lili answered.

"Stop," Synthia told her. "There's nothing wrong with hitting on a cute guy. There's a problem with pining, though. You should find a guy who wants to be with you."

Lili shook her head. "No, you can see in his eyes that Matt wants to be with her. What you need to find, though, is a guy whose _priority_ is you. Maybe Tommy."

Synthia's eyes went bright. "Ooo! I like him. He's cute, and he always watches you intently when you sing."

"Stop it," Rory pleaded. She was blushing heavily now and couldn't seem to stop. She really liked Matt; he was always funny, he was incredibly smart in class, she'd seen him wearing a sleeveless shirt at the gym and knew he had impressive arms, and he had so much in common with her in dueling strategy. But she had to admit, her friends had a point about not pining for a guy who was obviously still attached to his girlfriend.

"You know I can't promise you I won't run into Rory at some point. The island is only so big, and the campus is even smaller. … Uh huh. And what about Lili? Can I still say 'hi' to her, or is that like sleeping with the enemy?" He cringed as soon as he got the words out of his mouth and Rory gasped to prevent herself from laughing; Lili didn't mind cracking up. "No, honey, I'm not sleeping with Lili."

Synthia commented, "He walked right into that one."

Laura Guertin happened to wander into the textbook area and notice Matt. She decided that was as good a time as any to update Matt on the Tag Team Tournament negotiations. She stepped in front of him and put on an annoyed look. She was polite enough not to interrupt him while he was on the phone, but she was egotistical enough to think Matt should drop the phone call and prioritize the real person standing in front of him.

"Oh, Laura. Thank god," Matt said when he saw her. Then half his face cringed and he said, "Yes, honey, I'm a little surprised I said that myself." But before he finished saying that, Kasumi already hung up on him. He was slow to take the phone from his ear, but there was no point clinging to a dead conversation, especially one he didn't want to have in the first place. He should focus instead on the fact that he was actually glad to see his most annoying teammate just because it was an excuse to get off the phone.

"What was the weather like when you came in?" he asked Laura.

"Why?"

"Because if it's raining fire, I'd like to buy an umbrella." He didn't bother apologizing for being snarky because Laura didn't care anyway. She explained to him that she spoke to Dr. Lankford about setting up the tournament for the second week before finals. They can charge ten bucks a head and open it up for anyone in town to join if they think they can last against Duel Academy students. All they need is Dr. West's signature on the proposal. Matt assured her that was not a problem.

Then Laura left him to go get a new pair of shoes.

###

When the door opened, Bryan stumbled into the room just like in a sitcom. From his face-planted position, he sheepishly raised his head to see Lucy's expression. She was not pleased with the idea of him trying to spy on her. But her glare was not one of pure malice; the way she bit her lip curled one side of her mouth into a sort of disgusted grin.

"Having fun out there?"

"Not so much," he admitted. "I never realized how hard it was to see through a keyhole. Bugs Bunny makes it look so much easier."

"He can also pull an anvil out of a hat," Lucy pointed out. "I can't believe you're pressing your ear up against the door trying to spy on me."

"Why not? That sounds a lot like something I would do."

She scoffed and said, "You are so pathetic."

"What do you expect when you've got a cute guy in your room with the door shut and you kicked me out?"

"Jealousy is an ugly color," Jason pointed out. His expression was one of solemn disapproval.

"Why, you little…!" Bryan lunged for Jason's throat, but Jason sidestepped him and Bryan fell to the floor. Lucy stepped in front of Jason to act as a shield and started screaming at Bryan that he was an idiot.

"But he…!"

Lucy scoffed loudly, obviously annoyed with Bryan's childish behavior. "Fine. Let's get this over with, then." She turned around, grabbed Jason's face with both hands and pulled him straight into a big, solid kiss.

#

"Is that really what happened?" Clinton asked with surprise and amazement in his voice.

"Absolutely," Jason assured him, if you don't count everything after "Bugs Bunny makes it look so much easier."

In reality, Bryan did stumble into the room, Lucy told him he was being an idiot and that she wasn't cheating on him, and Jason did rebuke Bryan's jealousy, though he smirked every moment Lucy wasn't looking in his direction.

"No wonder Bryan challenged you to a duel. How did that go?"

#

"I know what you're doing," Bryan said when he caught Jason on his way out of the Blue Mansion. "You're trying to get Lucy's attention."

"I think _someone_ should pay attention to her," he replied. "She deserves more than to stand by and watch her idiot boyfriend flirt with every girl who walks by."

Bryan knew Jason had a point there, but he didn't want to address it. "Let's duel. I'm not sure exactly what your goal is, but you are not after Lucy because you're in love. When I beat you, you stay away from Lucy. Stop this tutoring charade and just stay away."

"Fine," Jason agreed. "And when _I_ win, I get your blessing to go on an actual date with her."

Now, most men might have been bothered by this request. After all, what if Bryan really did lose? Lucy might go out with Jason, decide she likes him more, and then Bryan would have to find someone else to talk to _during_ the movie on Friday nights. But Bryan really wasn't threatened. The only people who'd ever beaten him at this school were those who knew his deck as well as he did or who were powered by the Shadow Realm at the time.

"Deal."

Jason got to take the first turn. "I'll start off with Black Whirlwind. And I'll also summon Blackwing – Shura the Blue Flame (4/1800/1200)." Jason's monster was a blue bird-man with no meat on its body, except its hands were like kickboards with claws at the ends. A whirlwind of black feathers blew across the field immediately after Shura's summoning. "When I summon a Blackwing monster, I get to put another one in my hand if its attack is lower. I'll take Bora (1700). And when I control a Blackwing monster, I can Special Summon Blackwing – Bora the Spear (4/1700/800)." This one had red and yellow feathers on its head and torso and blue feathers on its legs and wings, and it carried a giant lance, like something Godzilla would use to pick his teeth.

"No facedowns?" Bryan asked. "You'll regret that. I'll summon Elemental Hero Stratos (4/1800/300) to the field and activate his effect." Bryan's familiar flyboy with the blue skin and the twin gyros on his back hovered just over the field floor. "He lets me take Sparkman from my deck to my hand, and now I'll play Polymerization to fuse Sparkman and Necroshade into Elemental Hero Darkbright (6/2000/1000)." A vortex on Bryan's field dissipated to reveal a monster with armor in primary colors covering a muscular body.

"I think you know what happens next." Stratos (1800) buzzed past Bora (1700) and destroyed it. Darkbright (2000) held out his open hand, revealing a red gem in his palm; a bright flash of energy emerged from the gem and destroyed Shura (1800). "Lastly, I'll play De-Fusion to split Darkbright into Elemental Hero Sparkman (4/1600/1400) and Elemental Hero Necroshade (5/1600/1800)." Sparkman had a blue-and-gold color scheme on his armor, and Necroshade resembled a red-skinned demon spawn. "And because I'm still in the Battle Phase, both my monsters can still attack directly." Sparkman unleashed a flash of electrical energy from his palms, and Necroshade lunged and slashed with his powerful claws. "Now I'll set one card and end my turn." Bryan 8000: Jason 8000 – 100 – 200 – 1600 – 1600 = 4500.

Jason didn't even wince, which bothered Bryan a little. "Nice move, but look who's got the card advantage." Bryan was down to one card; Jason had five, and he hadn't even drawn yet. "I'll summon Blackwing – Blizzard the Far North (2/1300/0)." A plump, white bird with black-tipped wings and a black crest landed on the field. Then it was joined by Shura the Blue Flame (1800). "When Blizzard is summoned, I revive another Blackwing monster from the Graveyard." A whirlwind of black feathers swept across the field again and put Kalut in Jason's hand. "And now I'll activate Blizzard's effect as a tuner to combine my monsters."

The rapid movement of Blizzard's wings covered Jason's side of the field in a frosty veil, and when the frost subsided, a new Blackwing emerged. Standing taller than all the monsters seen in the duel so far, Blackwing Armed Wing (6/2300/1000) was covered in black armor, including a full mask, with red feathers that looked like hair. Most notable, however, was that Armed Wing was one of few Duel Monsters who carried a gun—specifically, a shotgun.

"I have so many targets on the field," Jason noted mockingly. "Still, he presents little threat in the Graveyard, so I'll target Sparkman (1600)." Armed Wing aimed its shotgun and took flight.

"That's why I have Mirror Force," Bryan announced proudly. A reflective wall appeared between his monsters and Armed Wing. "The attack is negated and your monster is destroyed."

"Not if I take the hit," Jason countered. "My Body as a Shield lets me pay 1500 LP to negate the effect of your Trap." The mirrored wall shattered, and Armed Wing's shotgun blast blew Sparkman straight off the field. "Now I'll put one card facedown and end my turn." Bryan 8000 – 700 = 7300: Jason 4500 – 1500 = 3000.

"At this rate, I won't even have to finish the duel," Bryan joked. Jason didn't think he was funny. "Whatever," Bryan muttered. "I'll summon Elemental Hero Knospe (3/600/1000)." Bryan's new headliner while he practiced for Team Lockdown was a budding flower with feet and the ability to attack directly. "As long as I have other Elemental Heroes on the field, Knospe is protected. I'll have him attack directly." Knospe withdrew underground only to emerge on Jason's field and release a small burst of poisonous spores before returning to Bryan's field. "Now I'll put Necroshade (1800) into defense mode." Bryan 7300: Jason 3000 – 600 = 2400.

Jason was eager to start his turn. "I can Normal summon my Blackwing – Elphin the Raven (6/2200/1200) without Tributes because I have another Blackwing monster on the field." His monster was bulkier than Armed Wing and wore a headdress resembling the head of a griffin. Another whirlwind of black feathers blew across the field and put Mistral in Jason's hand. "When Elphin is summoned, I get to force Stratos (300) into defense mode." He noted that Bryan was smart to keep Stratos in attack mode, but the numbers works better for Jason if Stratos is in defense mode. "Elphin (2200) will start by destroying Necroshade (1800)." The griffin-headed Blackwing took flight and broke into a dive, rending Necroshade with its talons. "Now Armed Wing (2300) will attack Stratos (300); when he attacks a defense mode monster, he gains 500 points and deals piercing damage." Armed Wing loaded a black shell into his gun and fired it; the round exploded upon contact with Bryan's monster. Bryan 7300 – 2500 = 4800: Jason 2400.

Bryan thought about his situation for a moment. He was at a clear disadvantage now with both cards in his hand and monsters on the field. Luckily, it helped a little when he drew: "Pot of Greed lets me draw to cards." His field showed a green jar with a goofy grin on its face while his deck spat two cards at him. "I'll play Skyscraper 2 – Hero City." A futuristic city with domed towers and spires atop high skyscrapers sprouted across the field. Atop the skyscraper stood Elemental Hero Stratos (1800). "Using the effect of Hero City, I can Special Summon any Elemental Hero that was destroyed by battle, and using Stratos's effect when he is summoned, I can take an Elemental Hero from my deck and put it in my hand."

Given the options ahead of him, Bryan selected a course of action. "I'll play Miracle Fusion to fuse Stratos with Knospe into Elemental Hero Great Tornado (8/2800/2200)." A vortex of fusion energy merged Bryan's monsters until the result had green skin, white armor, and a black cape covering most of its body… until the wind began to blow. A tornado seems to emerge from Bryan's monster that made the Blackwing Whirlwind look like a zephyr. Even Jason's winged beasts had difficulty pushing back against wind. "When Great Tornado is summoned, all your monsters' points get cut in half."

"Thank you for telling me what I can plainly see on the field in front of me," Jason replied smugly.

Bryan huffed. "Yeah, fine. I'll have Great Tornado (2800) attack Armed Wing (-1150)." Bryan 4800: Jason 2400 – 1650 = 750.

"Good," Jason commented. "I'll play Graceful Charity." An angelic woman wearing a white robe appeared in front of him and offered him three cards in one hand, demanding two in return in her other. "Now it's time to swarm the field. Because I drew it through a card effect, I can Special Summon Blackwing – Breeze the Zephyr (3/1100/300)." This was the only Blackwing monster Jason played so far that wasn't black; this monster was covered in red and orange feathers, and, unlike most of its colleagues, it did not have superfluous arms in addition to its wings. "I'll summon Blackwing – Fane the Steel Chain (2/500/800)." This monster wore a black robe, making it look like a ninja bird; when it whipped a chain at Great Tornado, the Hero switched to defense mode. A whirlwind of black feathers blew back across the field, placing Gale in his hand. "Using its ability, I'll also Special Summon Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind (3/1300/400)." Now his field showed a blue-feathered monster with green feathers around its head.

Jason put on a particularly smug look at this point. "By the way… My facedown card isn't a bluff. It's Black-Winged Strafe, which will let me discard Vayu to destroy Elemental Hero Great Tornado." A small bird wearing a black coat appeared above the field and dove at Bryan's monster, moving so fast it burned the air in front of it as a meteor. "Now let's end this duel." Elphin (-1100) slashed, Fane (500) whipped, Gale (1300) flapped, and Breeze (1100) attacked. Jason showed the natural swarming ability of the Blackwing monsters, and by discarding Kalut during an attack, he dealt an extra 1400 points. Bryan 4800 – 1100 – 500 – 1300 – 1100 - 1400 = 0: Jason 750.

Bryan fell to his knees in disbelief, struggling to fight back tears.

#

"Seriously? He cried?"

Jason laughed. "Of course!" by which he meant, "No, but it makes the story look better for me."

"I can't believe you beat the Number 2-ranked duelist on the island." He forgot the part where nobody wins _every_ duel. "And now you _really_ have a date with Lucy?"

"Yep. The trick was not to tell her that I won a date with her, but to ask her out like I normally would, tell her that one night away from Bryan would be good for her, and _then_ tell her that I got Bryan's permission by beating him in a duel."

Clinton shook his head slowly, in disbelief. "I can't believe your plan is actually working so far."

"Of course it worked," Jason remarked. "What about you? How's Rory?"

Clint brightened up at the sound of her name. "I'm still scared to death of asking her out while she's pining for Matt because I think she'll say no and then make me mayor of the Friend Zone, but we're making progress on moving me into the Friend Zone the old-fashioned way. She asked me to go with her to some open mic night in Kazuki on Thursday."

"Not bad," Jason said dryly. "Now you're only a thousand years away from that first date."

* * *

_That was really tough to squeak out in a week. If you spot typos, I apologize, appreciate the feedback, and point out that it feels like every other word when you write a duel is made up (e.g., Angusticlavii). If anyone knows a great and easy way to write duels and wants a consulting credit, feel free to contact me.  
Titanic X did make up the cards Mitsuro used. I'm okay doing that when you come up with a really detailed deck, but I reserve the right to reduce the "bad guy effect" (defined as "cards that are wildly helpful to you without a drawback), which I did do a little bit with her cards._

_I've got the rest of this Academy semester planned out. I apologize if you are especially eager to see your character duel and it hasn't happened yet, but know that Darius has been around the longest and _still _hasn't been in a duel yet. I will get to everyone when it makes sense for the story. I usually hate throwing in a duel just for the sake of it, but I will eventually if I have to._

_The next chapter will finally get into the story, and the following chapter will begin the Tag Team Tournament._

_Credits:_  
_Darius Mantzios....tiramisu19_  
_Jason Maxim....Maxim and Knight_  
_Nathan Zislaw....Mavrik Zero_  
_Hillary Delaney....Nodqfan144_  
_Lili Von....Happy2BMe_  
_Carter Jade....Jaden2010  
Mitsuro Itachu....Titanic X  
Sean Bivins....DarkVestroia2_  
_Naoto Kurotsuki....Kurotsuki Haru_  
_Hayley Wilson....TeamRocketDiva_  
_Maikeru Stone....onyxshade7  
Victor Rocks....Iron-Arm-V_  
_Abel Shinzou....Iron-Arm-V_  
_Alister Kazama & Jessica Parks....ZaneKazama001_  
_Synthia Spencer.....Madly Chessur_  
_Everyone else so far....YamiRuss_


	11. There's Something About Hayley

Chapter 11: There's Something About Hayley

Students were still trickling into the classroom with only two minutes until the literature class was scheduled to start. And as is required of all college students, Darius had his nose in the book, reviewing the chapters he read the previous night. (Actually, this was uncommon; most students had their noses in the book to _fake_ reading the chapters ahead of time.)

"I still don't get it," Sean Bivins commented. "Are they going to kill a mockingbird or not?"

"It's not a 'How To' guide," Maikeru told him. "You're lucky this class only lasts one semester and then you never have to take it again."

"Shh!" Ellie Bouchles responded. "Hayley's being weird again. I'm trying to eavesdrop!"

A few rows back in the classroom, Hayley was denying ever having even looked at Vic with anything but disapproval. She wouldn't admit disgust, but she was almost completely put off by his abrasive sense of humor and his tendency toward rudeness. Regardless, he was not shy about showing off the bite marks along his shoulders and neckline, claiming that she gave them to him.

"I would never do that with you," she replied firmly. She looked genuinely worried, though, as most people accused of sex-related acts do, and many of the other students wondered if maybe Vic was telling the truth for once.

"You should mind your own beeswax," Darius suggested. Ellie shot him a look of disappointment, but she didn't reply verbally. "I got that one right, did I not?"

"No. We should totally figure out what that girl's deal is." She looked to Kasumi for support.

The auburn-haired Asian with the sullen look on her face said, "I'm with Darius on this one. We shouldn't get involved where we're not wanted."

Ellie scoffed softly and put her arm around her roommate. "Matt loves you. It's just a fight. You'll get past it." The sound of that comforted Kas a little, but she still felt like Matt was starting to like Rory even more, and that's why she couldn't stand the thought of them spending any time together. Proximity often breeds affection.

"You know what will help take your mind off your boyfriend troubles?"

Kasumi immediately said, "Fine. I'll help with your Hayley-spy conspiracy." Ellie excited gave Kas a quick squeeze and resumed her post watching Hayley, who was busy arguing with Vic over whether or not she ever made physical contact with him.

"You weren't nearly so shy the other day," Vic said with a smug look.

Hayley pushed him away and held her arms as if trying to put up a force field. "I wouldn't touch you with a radioactive pole. I might throw it at you, though." Abel, Ty, and Clyde started laughing and making comments about how she "burned" Vic.

"I knew you was making that up," Abel said. "Like you could ever hit a fine piece like that." It was pretty well agreed by everyone that Hayley was out of Vic's league. In fact, there were few men on the island who were in her league. She never had to put on much makeup to look like Kate Beckinsale at the Golden Globe awards.

Vic's smugness faded quickly when his pride and reputation were threatened like that. He pushed himself closer to Hayley and said, "We made out for, like, twenty minutes before you bugged out. What happened?"

"Nothing happened because _that_ didn't happen," Hayley assured him. She seemed pretty confident and everyone was prone to believe her. Except for Kasumi; Cary told her what she saw in the closet of the Marufuji building. Then again, Kasumi didn't really care what Hayley's relationship was with Vic, although she thought Hayley could do a lot better than a guy like that.

But being the busybody she was, Ellie only got more and more interested in the mystery and intrigue surrounding Hayley. When class came to an end and Ellie realized she had other things to do than follow Hayley around, she turned to her coerced posse.

"Okay, someone has to follow her until she goes to her next class," Ellie said. "We need to know where she goes and who she's with."

"She has another class in fifteen minutes," Darius said. "It is the same class Kasumi and I have with her." Ellie almost punched him in the arm when she realized that meant someone would be able to see where Hayley goes between classes. Darius was less thrilled.

Fortunately for Darius's sanity, Hayley did what most other students do when they have a class; she walked straight toward the classroom with only a quick stop on the quad to talk with a few of her other friends. She was a fairly bubbly personality when she was around people with whom she was comfortable—very cheerful and smiley. Neither Darius nor Kasumi spent much time outside of class with her, but she seemed like a perfectly pleasant woman to befriend. Kasumi suggested that Hayley only turned evil around certain annoying people… like Bryan.

"Where is Bryan?" Darius asked. They got to class and found Matt, but his larger half was nowhere to be seen. Darius felt compelled to ask Matt about Bryan in order to get past the awkwardness between him and Kasumi. "Is Bryan not coming?"

#

_When Matt went into the bathroom to brush his teeth, he could see the other two doors for his three-room suite. Kenny's door was standing open, as usual. He was watching the weather channel like he does every morning, always hoping for that Texas-style tornado to touch down on the island… or so Matt assumed. He still couldn't look at Kenny's shoes without laughing to himself._

_"Mornin', Matt," Kenny said as he tipped his cowboy hat. "You think I should start wearing this to class?"_

_"Don't we make enough fun of you?" was Matt's muffled reply as he tried not to spew toothpaste while he spoke._

_It was rather unusual for Bryan's door to be still shut so close to class time. Normally, he'd be shoving Matt around the bathroom, claiming priority on the various porcelain utilities. Maybe he was still asleep. A few knocks on the door should help that._

_"Hey, Knight-stick. It's almost time to go." He could hear no response, but he could hear music and a fairly consistent ringing noise in the room. The door was unlocked, and so he turned the knob and entered. Bryan was sitting with terrible posture on his bean bag chair, holding a Wii remote in his hand and moving it around every few moments. "Bryan?"_

_"You'd think after twenty-five years of running and jumping around the kingdom, Mario would lose that beer gut." Sure enough, even now that he was traveling across galaxies from planet to planet, Mario still had a rotund belly._

_Matt was a little confused. For Bryan to be playing games, he'd been awake for a little while, yet he was still wearing nothing more than his pajama pants. Empty bottles of water and PowerAde littered the floor. "Are you okay, bro?" Bryan didn't answer. He looked healthy enough, but he was clearly in a bad mood. "I'm going to class now. Should I wait for you?" Bryan didn't respond. "I figured. I'll be back later to check on you."_

_As Matt shut the door behind him, he heard Bryan comment, "If I ate that many magic mushrooms, I'd think plants had teeth, too."_

#

"He's not feeling well," Matt explained vaguely to Darius and Kas.

"Oh." Kasumi just smiled and looked back to her notebook as she got her materials ready for class. Darius was unsure how Matt and Kas could act as if nothing was wrong when they experienced so many awkward moments like this, but he also believe that unless their relationship started to affect their schoolwork or their general social functioning, he really didn't need to get involved.

Matt broke the silence by saying, "I should be able to get some free time tonight. Should I come over?"

Kas smiled and said, "That'd make me happy."

"Good." Matt and Kas stared at one another for a moment when Matt noticed Darius constantly looking up from his desk to look down the row of seats. He followed Darius's gaze. "Why do you keep looking at Hayley Wilson?"

It was an interesting few minutes trying to explain to Matt why Ellie was so curious about Hayley's mood swings, and then explaining how one curious woman can be such a nag that she recruits the people around her to her conspiracy theory through sheer annoyance.

"So you guys are following her all day?" Matt confirmed.

"We will not specifically," Darius replied. "We are currently only requested to follow her until lunch. Ellie wants to know where Hayley goes, what she does, and those to whom she speaks."

Matt laughed mockingly. "I feel sorry for whoever draws the short straw and has to follow her at night without being labeled a stalker. Although finding out what she does in the shower could be fun."

As it goes, Maikeru and Sean drew that task (following her—she never stopped to take a shower). After dinner, Hayley went back to her room for a while to do homework while Maikeru and Sean hung out in the hallway dueling with one another. Until nine forty-five, Hayley listened to pop music, most notably ABBA, but very suddenly, the music changed to hard rock. Her roommate Leila Lockhart didn't say anything at the time and didn't even seem bothered when Hayley walked out of the room with the music still playing at a high volume.

"Where's she going at this hour?" Maikeru wondered.

"Midnight stroll?" Sean suggested.

Maikeru snapped at him, "Get a watch."

Whatever the purpose behind her "midnight stroll," Hayley wandered out of the Yellow Dorm in the direction of the Marufuji building. At first Maikeru thought she might be going to meet up with Vic despite her denial of him earlier that day. But Hayley kept going and wandered right past the Marufuji building. It was the farthest building on the edge of campus; all that was left to find was the wooded area that surrounded the campus. Many stories pervaded Duel Academy about the woods being haunted by various entities, most prominently either by the Ghost Duelist or as the location of the Shadow Realm.

"I don't see her anymore." It is an unfortunate fact of the human condition that darkness tends to reduce visibility. And footsteps are easier to hear when the environment is otherwise silent save for crickets chirping.

"Can we stop following her?" Sean asked.

"Why? Are you afraid of the dark?"

"Of course not." Sean made a face intended either to indicate that he was not afraid of anything and that any insinuation otherwise was ludicrous, or to declare that a Sour Patch Kids was too sour for his tongue and he was having trouble spitting it out. "You don't think there's bears, do you?"

"Yes. Volcanic Pacific Islands are the natural habitats of bears." He took a single step into the trees, but as soon as the shadows fell over his face, he realized the canopy pretty much blocked out the moonlight entirely. The odds of finding Hayley in such darkness when he wasn't even sure where she was going were slim. "What is she even doing out here?"

"Do you think she's the Ghost Duelist everyone has been talking about?" Sean suggested. After all, she was wandering the island after dark and seemed to favor the shadows. Then he had second thoughts. "Oh, wait. Clyde and Ty said the Ghost Duelist was a guy."

"They probably said that to preserve their reputations," Maikeru commented. A couple of wimpy guys like that weren't above lying about losing a duel to a girl. "I guess we'll solve the mystery of Hayley Wilson and the Ghost Duelist in one night. I think she went that way."

He started to lead Sean into the trees, but he stopped suddenly when he heard footsteps in the brush in the other direction. First he saw two big boots followed closely by a pair of black pants. Then he saw an academy jacket, but it wasn't one of the typical colors; it was a brown jacket, although it really _was_ an official Duel Academy jacket and not a cheap knockoff. But when that last step was taken out of the shadows, the stranger was clearly seen as a young man with curly brown hair and a slender build, standing at five-foot-eight and 160 pounds.

"Matt?" Maikeru certainly wasn't expecting to find Darius's old roommate out here. His first thought was that Matt might also be trying to find the Ghost Duelist. Or maybe Ellie persuaded him to her conspiracy theory regarding Hayley. "What are you doing out here?"

"We were just taking a walk around the island. The brisk night air is real nice."

"Who's 'we'?"

Matt just pointed to his head. "Ouroboros. He's an angry guy. The moonlight soothes him. It's relaxing. And when he's relaxed, I can be relaxed."

Sean and Maikeru exchanged confused glances. "I don't get it," Sean said.

"Are you okay?" Maikeru asked. "You didn't get hit in the head with a baseball or fall out of a tree, did you?"

Matt chuckled and said, "No. But you know what else helps me? Dueling. You guys up for it?"

"We're actually busy," Maikeru replied. "We're trying to find out what's going on with Hayley. She wandered off that way and I'm a little curious why."

"I don't know," Sean said. "It looks really dark in there. A duel out here where we've still got some light sounds like a better way to spend the evening." He added that they only had about an hour before the academy curfew that required they be inside the dorms. Maikeru tried to argue, but Sean's disapproval of the dark was almost tangible.

"I know her secret," Matt said. That caught Maikeru's attention. "I'll be happy to tell you if you help me out here. Just a little duel; that's all."

If Matt knew what Hayley was doing out here at night, he was probably involved. That's why Maikeru agreed to take the easy way and get the information straight from Matt instead of following Hayley around any longer. He and Sean just had to figure out which of them was willing to take on Matt's Cyber Dragons.

"Why don't you both try?" Matt suggested. "You'll have a better shot if the two of you duel against the one of me. What do you say?" Sean was okay with it, but Maikeru felt like something was a little off with Matt tonight. "If you guys beat me, I'll tell you exactly what you want to know about Hayley."

"As long as it keeps us out here in the moonlight," Sean agreed. He and Maikeru activated their Duel Disks and loaded their decks. "Who's going first?"

"I am," Matt quickly claimed. "I'll start this off with the Field Spell Basic Rules." The field flashed, but nothing seemed to change. Matt just stood there with a grin on his face. "This card dictates that we can each play only one card per turn."

"Just one card?" Maikeru repeated. "That's a really weird restriction. Does it matter what card?" Matt said it did not; the only requirement was that they each play Spell, Trap, or monster card each. Maikeru was not thrilled that his deck's greatest strength—its speed—was removed so quickly. Sean, on the other hand, kinda liked the idea. "Of course you do. You can only think one move at a time in the first place."

After another moment of standing in silence, Matt explained, "It's your turn, guys. That _was_ my one card for the turn. Any new rule counts every action already taken in a turn. That means it's your turn. Check your Duel Disk."

Indeed, Maikeru's Duel Disk indicated he was in his Draw Phase, waiting to draw a card. "Whatever," he mumbled as he drew a card. "I'll summon Pyramid Turtle (4/1200/1400)." A large, copper-toned turtle with a cinderblock pyramid as a shell appeared on the field. "And… I guess that's all."

"That makes it my turn," Sean said. "I'll play Reasoning. Matt, you get to pick one monster level, and I pick up cards from my deck until I get a monster. If it's the same level as your guess, it goes to the Graveyard; if it isn't, I get to summon it."

Matt smiled brightly. "I like games. Okay, I know you run a Magical Explosion deck, so I bet your next monster is Level 4."

Sean picked up cards from his deck—six in total—until he found Breaker the Magical Warrior. "You were right. That means all those cards go to the Graveyard."

"And it's my turn again," Matt pointed out. "I'll activate First Play Random." A spinning dial appeared on the field; the numbers went from 1 to 5, the same as the cards in Matt's hand. "This is a new rule that says during each of our turns, the first card we play is selected randomly."

"But we only play one card," Sean noted.

Maikeru patted his partner on the shoulder and said, "Good, Sean."

"It's your turn now," Matt said, "and after you draw one card, the dial will determine what card you play this turn."

The spinning dial circled rapidly for a moment, then came to an abrupt stop at the number 4. "That's my Allure of Darkness," Maikeru said. A holographic deck on the field began leaking a cloud of dark energy. "I draw two cards, then I remove a dark monster in my hand from play." After he did so, Maikeru scoffed when he realized his first and only play for the turn was practically wasted. "At least I can still attack with Pyramid Turtle (1200)." The turtle channeled energy from its shell and released a burst from its gaping mouth; the blast hit Matt's field for direct damage. Matt 8000 – 1200 = 6800: Maikeru and Sean 8000.

The dial spun again and picked Sean's card for him. "Foolish Burial makes me send a monster from my deck to the Graveyard. I'll send Night's End Sorcerer." His field showed his spellcaster card being buried alive. Then his turn ended. "Dueling doesn't get any easier than this," he said. "I only play one card per turn and the computer tells me which card to play."

Maikeru groaned, "Yeah. It's a real walk in the park."

"My turn again," Matt declared. "Let's see what the dial wants from me." The dial spun and selected one of Matt's cards. "Draw 2 and Use 'Em," he read. "That means exactly what it sounds like. I draw two cards, and then I'm forced to play both of them. And the first one is Hand Limit 1." A yellow card showing the number '1' and a single card being held appeared on the field. "Starting right now, all our hands can have no more than one card during the End Phase. That means you guys have to discard four cards each right now."

"That's a real punch in the crotch," Maikeru commented as he tossed out four cards. Sean took less time to pick out his cards.

"But my turn isn't done yet," Matt reminded. "I'm still required to play that other card I drew. It's Rocket (5/1200/2200)." A pretty plain-looking rocket ship appeared on his field. "Now I just have to discard all but one card, and it's your turn."

"How come you got to play a Level 5 monster without a Tribute?" Sean asked. "Is that one of its special abilities, like your Cyber Dragon?"

"Rocket doesn't have any abilities. I was required to play it. When the rules force you to play a card, it doesn't matter what level it is. Of course, some cards can't be played, and so you have to send those to the Graveyard instead."

"Is there a book with all these rules written down?" Maikeru asked. Matt told him the holographic cards showed the effects for him to read. He scoffed and drew his card. Then the First Play Random forced him to play Il Blud (6/2100/800), a small, round monster with huge eyes zipped inside a faceless zombie wearing black and white stripes and a ball and chain around the ankle, like a cartoon in prison. It was very Burtonesque. "Well, at least I get to use that effect, too." Unfortunately, neither monster was strong enough to beat Matt's Rocket, and so Maikeru had to end another unproductive turn.

"Let's see what I get," Sean said with a smile on his face. He paused for a moment to consider the card selected by the dial in comparison with the weird rules of Matt's cards. "Speaking strictly hypothetically… Does your First Play Random card require me to _activate_ a Trap immediately, or would I have to Set it?"

Matt laughed. "You Set Traps."

"Okay." Sean put on a fake Poker face and said, "I'll set a Trap _or_ Spell." The king of subtlety.

"This was a lot of fun," Matt said when he drew. He sighed softly and added, "I'm sorry I have to leave already."

Maikeru was stunned. "You're leaving? In the middle of the duel?"

"Don't worry. The duel will continue. Ouroboros is going to take my place." He turned around the card selected by the First Play Random rule. "Unfortunately, when I play this card, I can't hold him back anymore. Try not to antagonize him too much. He's a lot testier than I am. Anyway, good luck. He's even better than I am." He laid the card on his Duel Disk. Suddenly the field flashed with energy, and a brown ring surrounded the duel field.

"That's weird," Sean uttered. Maikeru just wondered what the effect was of this new card, but Sean found it odd that the brown ring extended beyond the point the holographic projector could materialize Maikeru's monsters. The ring resembled a snake that wrapped around the field until it started eating its own tail.

The expression on Matt's face changed. His bright eyes and boyish smile turned to a slight sneer and a devilish grin, but that was the only physical change. "Transmutation Circle – Ouroboros," he said. "Each of you picks up one card, and that card becomes a sacrifice for this duel." He picked up his own top card and showed one called Jackpot!.

"I don't get it," Sean said. For once, Maikeru didn't, either.

Ouroboros explained to Maikeru, "Pick up the top card from your deck and show it." To Sean, he said, "Take one card randomly from your Extra Deck and show it." Maikeru picked up Plaguespreader Zombie and Sean picked up Tempest Magician.

"Why do we show different cards for the same effect?" Sean asked. "That seems weird."

"That's how the Ouroboros works," he explained. "Monsters from two different sides of a card. A tuner for one, and a Synchro for the other. Now remove them from play. Each one becomes a potential sacrifice if you lose this duel."

"Like the ante rule?" Maikeru asked. "That rule isn't allowed in an Academy duel. In fact, they wrote that on every other page of the Duel Academy duelist handbook. Besides, I'm not giving you my Plaguespreader zombie. It's one of my best cards."

"Yeah," Sean eloquently agreed.

Ouroboros just grinned. "It's your turn, zombie boy."

Maikeru was starting to get annoyed with this duel. At first, he liked the idea of learning Hayley's secrets without playing the spy game anymore, and it was an interesting chance to duel against the island's top-ranked duelist, but now it was just a display of a whole lot of cards no one ever heard of before. And the weird rules just kept piling up.

But the new cards didn't change _all_ the rules. The First Play Random dial picked Maikeru's next card for him. "I have to summon Kasha (8/?/1000). This card has special requirements, but I've already met them." A rising flame on the field flared up suddenly, then faded to reveal a demonic cat bearing a wooden cart on its back and wheels made of fire. The wheels began to turn, and Kasha began to circle the field, collecting all the monsters and throwing them into the cart. "When Kasha is summoned, all monsters on the field are returned to their decks. For each zombie, Kasha (+2000) gains 1000 points." The flaming wheels began to churn wildly as the cart shot forward and plowed into Ouroboros's side of the field. Ouroboros 6800 – 2000 = 4800: Maikeru and Sean 8000.

"Nice move," Sean said. "That wiped that Rocket off the field." He picked up his next card and waited for the dial to pick something. "I got Summoner Monk (4/800/1600)." Sean's monster was a blue-skinned man wearing large, purple robes with gold trim and a red jewel on the forehead. "And I bet I can use his effect. I'll discard a Spell from my hand to summon Magical Exemplar (4/1700/1400) from my deck." This one was a female monster wearing green wizard robes and gold jewelry around her wrists, neck, and forehead.

"Nice work," Maikeru said, sounding particularly surprised. "You actually managed to use a monster effect to your advantage even against the ridiculous effects of Matt's cards."

Sean gave Maikeru a look of pity and said, "It's just a duel. It's not _that_ weird. Anyway, I'll attack and then end my turn." Magical Exemplar cast a spell that caused an explosion on the other side of the field. Ouroboros 4800 – 1700 = 3100: Maikeru and Sean 8000.

Ouroboros smiled when the dial picked one of his cards. "Let's Do That Again lets me replay any Spell card in my Graveyard. I'll play Draw 2 and Use 'Em." He drew two new cards and slapped them both down on his Duel Disk. "First is Draw 5; that means during every Draw Phase, we draw five cards instead of one. And I've only drawn one card so far this turn, so I need to draw four more to comply with the rule."

"So how does that work?" Sean asked. "We draw five cards, play one, and then discard everything except one?"

"Exactly." Then he scoffed. "Well, that _would_ be the case if you got to have another turn. My second card is Play All, which forces me to play every card in my hand before my turn can end. Keeping that in mind, I will play Love (3/200/1800)." Cliché as it sounds, a big, red heart with the small reflection in the upper right corner appeared on the field. "And I'll end this duel with one last card: All You Need Is Love." A bright light shone from above the duel field and hit the heart on Ouroboros's field.

"Wait," Sean interjected. "I'll activate Magical Explosion to inflict 200 points of damage to you for each Spell in my Graveyard." A ring appeared around Ouroboros, lined with images of Spell Cards and the Magical Explosion trap; after Magical Explosion sparked, the entire ring began to explode, each node inflicting damage to Ouroboros.

"That's only 2400 points," Ouroboros reminded him. "Despite that Trap, my new card is a Goal card that changes the requirements for winning the duel. If the only card in my monster field is Love, then the duel ends in my favor." Ouroboros 3100 – 2400 = 700: Maikeru and Sean 8000.

The brown ring set by the Transmutation Circle – Ouroboros card began to shine and spin rapidly around the field until it abruptly disappeared with the rest of the holograms. "That's my cue," Ouroboros said immediately following the light show. "I must be off." He immediately dashed off under the cover of the trees, but because of the rapidly fading lights, Maikeru and Sean both needed a moment to let their eyes adjust and get rid of the images of Duel Monsters seared to their retinas.

"Where'd he go?" Sean wondered. "I thought he was going to tell us about Hayley."

"That was only if we won," Maikeru recalled. He scoffed as he combined his deck with his Graveyard and shuffled his cards. "That guy is nuttier than a fruitcake." He would have said more, but he needed to count his cards again to make sure he didn't just miscount. A second effort revealed the same issue: He was missing his Plaguespreader Zombie.

"Do you still have your Tempest Magician?"

Sean looked through his cards and his pockets, but he couldn't find his card, either. "He said we were using them as antes on the duel."

"But when did he take them?" Maikeru wondered. "He never came any closer than twelve feet away. Then he just ran off after the duel."

Sean agreed, "It's weird. And he gave himself two names. Is he trying to establish two personalities? Like one who is just a friendly, relaxed guy and one who takes over during duels? 'Cause that sounds cool!"

Maikeru stopped to ponder this possibility for a moment. "Split personalities? Sean, for once, you may have figured something out that didn't even occur to me."

* * *

_First, I'd like to apologize for all the times my story moved abruptly between sections. Any of you who have written something in Word and uploaded it to this site know that the site almost always deletes sectional breaks during its "auto-formatting." It's a major pain in the butt, but I can only assume it wasn't too obvious until the previous chapter; nobody mentioned it before tiramisu19 brought it to my attention. I will try to check over the formatting again each week before I post, but anytime a transition seems too abrupt, please know that I do not generally slack in that area without technical problems. (I had to start using + and - to indicate changing attack/defense values because the auto-format kept removing the brackets I used to use, too.)  
_

_Second, last time, I let Mitsuro duel with cards that don't exist. I will post an addendum chapter at the end of the story with her cards and their effects. I can't do it sooner because I am obsessive and do not wish to see a disconnect between the chapter of the story I post and the number assigned by this website. I'm weird that way. I will post the new cards used in this chapter in that same addendum._

_The cards used by Ouroboros were an homage to the card game Fluxx. I really like that game, and it seemed like a great set of cards to use for a character as scattered as he. If you haven't played it but you like Yu-Gi-Oh!, you should check it out because you might enjoy it. (No, I'm not paid to say that. It's justification for stealing ideas.)_

_Next time, Cary will be in the School Duel and people will start making teams for the Tag Team Tournament. I haven't decided who is going to win it yet, but it will occupy several chapters to finish as it takes us through the end of the Duel Academy semester. I'll also give a little more information about Hayley.  
_

_Credits:_  
_Darius Mantzios...tiramisu19_  
_Jason Maxim...Maxim and Knight_  
_Nathan Zislaw...Mavrik Zero_  
_Hillary Delaney...Nodqfan144_  
_Lili Von...Happy2BMe_  
_Carter Jade...Jaden2010  
Mitsuro Itachu...Titanic X  
Sean Bivins...DarkVestroia2_  
_Naoto Kurotsuki...Kurotsuki Haru_  
_Hayley Wilson...TeamRocketDiva_  
_Maikeru Stone...onyxshade7  
Victor Rocks & __Abel Shinzou...Iron-Arm-V_  
_Alister Kazama & Jessica Parks...ZaneKazama001_  
_Synthia Spencer...Madly Chessur_  
_Leila Lockhart...Windraider_  
_Everyone else so far...YamiRuss_


	12. In Anticipation of the 3T

Chapter 12: In Anticipation of the 3T

Kenny stood in Matt's doorway tapping his feet on the floor just enough to make his spurs jingle. It was his unconscious way of letting Matt know he overslept and was running late because of it. Matt, of course, could do without the reminder. He was under enough stress wondering if he could find an alarm clock that wouldn't break under the force of his fist. He'd been coming closer and closer to oversleeping ever since he realized he might be pushing himself too much with his schedule. Lately, he could only muster four duels per day if he was really on the ball, and there were a few hectic days he couldn't get any. Maybe he'd have to cut his gym time back.

"Are you familiar with cross fit training?" Kenny suggested.

Matt said he was not. He'd heard of it, of course, but he was accustomed to heavy lifting and sprinting exercises, the same kinds of things his football coach in high school prioritized. "What's the point to cross fit?"

"It's just a broader, general series of exercise programs," Kenny said. "They tend to be over quicker, but they really get your heart rate going by forcing a high number of repetitions and not letting you rest between exercises."

"That doesn't sound so hard," Matt replied.

Kenny chuckled at Matt's naïveté. "Believe me when I say you'll want to make sure your first attempt comes on a weekend. Depending on the intensity of that particular workout, even you might have trouble doing anything the rest of the day."

"I'll check it out," Matt promised. Kenny assured him that it was more like spending twenty to thirty minutes a day at the gym, which is significantly less time than the hour and a half average Matt was currently spending in the weight room.

He finished tying his shoes and said, "Alright. Let's go. If we're not there soon, Cary's going to let me know later exactly how much she appreciates my being late to her duel." He took a look at Bryan's door, knocked, and tried the knob. The door was unlocked, which was an obvious invitation for Matt to open it, but Bryan wasn't inside.

"Where's Bryan?" Kenny wondered.

"I don't know. He didn't come back at all last night. Even for a weird guy like he is, that's odd. And for him to miss a School Duel is almost unprecedented. I'm starting to get a little worried about him."

"He has been acting a tad strange," Kenny admitted. "But I'm sure he's fine. He's always been a little out there on the intellectual level. I remember one time he told me about this idea he had. He wanted to put together a construction site, but it's not intended for building stuff. It's just a place for grown men who aren't trained to play around with construction equipment. He said he'd always wanted to run a steamroller over a tube of toothpaste. I couldn't tell if he was bonkers or sitting on a gold mine."

"Many of the best ideas start out sounding crazy," Matt admitted. "Anyway, let's get going before we miss the flick off." That was Matt's cheesy term for the first draw of the duel—a parody on the first kick-off of a football game.

But the guys hadn't gotten far when they ran into Roger Baker, faculty advisor to the Red Dorm and former police detective. The term "former" was often used loosely with him. Despite having been a Duel Academy professor for twelve years, he was still prone to getting involved with the campus police as a sort of liaison with the students. The police didn't really need someone for such a role—they were pretty well liked and appreciated by the students because they were generally friendly—but Captain Frank Rader was good friends with Baker and often allowed him to take the student side of certain cases.

"Howdy, Prof.," Kenny said.

Baker nodded, which was about the level of greeting he could muster whenever he actually had a police purpose in going to see one of the students. "Kenny. I'd like to talk to Matt if you don't mind."

"Is about his covering your class on Monday?" Kenny asked. Baker just gave him a blank look. Even Kenny knew that meant that it had nothing to do with Matt covering a class.

"Okay," Matt said hesitantly. To Kenny, he said, "You go on ahead. Maybe you can tell Cary some kind of story about how I got caught in traffic because a glue truck overturned and there was a fire and I had to tun in to save an old woman and four kittens."

"You bet." Kenny didn't bother to dissect the story at the moment. He could always laugh about Matt's weird sense of humor later… when Baker wasn't giving the professorial "evil eye." He even waited almost motionlessly, watching Kenny out of the corner of his eye until he was sure he and Matt were alone.

"What's up, Sarge? This isn't about that hole I left in the wall in my old room in the Red Dorm, is it?"

"What hole?"

Matt stopped abruptly. "It was a trick question. There is no hole." Inside, he was very excited about how effective toothpaste apparently was in lieu of actual spackle.

"Where were you last night at approximately 10:15?"

Suddenly the color drained from Matt's face. He was silent for a much longer time than most innocent people would be, and Baker noticed it. He was pretty sure now that what Maikeru and Sean told him was true.

After an uncomfortable silence of eight seconds, Matt's wit finally forced him to give a version of the truth: "I can tell you what I _wasn't_ doing. And that's breaking one of the curfew rules. Besides, I'm pretty sure there were no cameras."

"You're right about that," Baker admitted. It was a friendly approach generally used to build a rapport with the suspect and lower his guard. "There are very few cameras out in the woods."

Matt laughed. "Yeah. Webcams are stup…" He stopped in the middle of a word, and his expression quickly changed from panicked guilt to uncertain confusion. "What?" It took him a moment to get over the flabbergasted feeling. "What are you talking about—cameras in the woods?"

"What do you _think_ I'm talking about?" Baker asked. Now he was confused, as well. As far as he could tell, Matt's reaction was genuine. Mention of the woods really did throw him off guard. Maybe Matt didn't know what Maikeru and Sean had claimed. But if that's the case, why did he look so guilty? "Tell me more about what you _weren't_ doing last night at 10:15."

Matt chuckled softly and said, "Well, I certainly _wasn't_ in the woods. I know it's too cool for mosquitoes, but there're still a lot of bugs out there." Then his face looked slightly devious. "And I _wasn't_ in Kas's room, because _that_ would be a violation of Duel Academy's boy-girl curfew and I play by the rules."

Baker picked up Matt's meaning right away. He was unsure of the extent of the curfew violation, but it was pretty clear Matt was claiming Kasumi as an alibi. "Can anyone verify that you and Kas were 'not' together at 10:15 last night?"

"Um… Her roommate was definitely not in the room; maybe she was in the study lounge. And Kas keeps the door shut. Nobody actually saw us _not_ together."

"Then were you also not dueling with two fellow students in the woods and stealing their cards?"

Matt could only make a face. "Why would I want to steal someone's cards? Unless he has another Cyber Dragon." He chuckled to himself, but Baker's expression told a different story; he saw that not as a joke, but as proof that Matt was not above stealing cards from other students. "I didn't say that," Matt said. As he breathed in for another try, he put on a strictly serious face. "Why would I steal someone else's cards? And then I stop talking."

Baker was certainly amused by Matt's willingness to talk, even if it didn't help his situation a whole lot. Two students got a perfect view of him right before he stole their rarest cards. "Would you mind if I looked through your cards?"

"That would take a while," Matt confessed. "Am I a suspect or something? Who says I stole his cards?"

"We're just talking," Baker informed him. "You aren't being accused of anything yet." Matt repeated the "yet" under his breath. Baker admitted he wanted to start any potential investigation by talking to Matt. "You're free to go to the Hibiki Center. I will be able to reach you if I have more questions, won't I?"

"I'll be here wearing a name tag that says, 'Hello. My name is Red Herring,'" he commented as Baker walked away. On the off chance that one of the freshman was robbed and mistook Matt for someone else he spends a lot of time with (it's easy to mix up names when two people are together all the time and you don't know them well), he went back into Bryan's room and started looking through the bag where he kept all their extra cards.

###

Matt was not the only one running late. Nathan Zislaw had a tendency to saunter across campus when he should have a hurried pace, especially on a day when he, too, overslept. In Nathan's case, it had nothing to do with his alarm, though; knowing the morning classes were cancelled because of the School Duel, he decided to lie down in the grass outside the dorm and just stare at the clouds for a while. That's why no one was around to wake him when he dozed off. It was no great matter to him, however; he liked being at the school and appreciated a good duel, but it was hardly the end of the world for him to miss an academy function.

He didn't miss the whole duel. When he wandered into the convocation center, he saw the duel was still going and there were some big monsters on the field. His first impression was to hang by the back of the room and just lean against the wall rather than search for someplace to sit; School Duels tended to draw a crowd. But then he inadvertently spotted his roommate Carter Jade sitting close to one of the aisles. He was easy enough to spot with his broad backside, the red jacket, and he wasn't far from Hilary's wheelchair. It seemed easy enough to join him, and so Nathan decided he might as well, mostly because sitting was preferable to standing.

"Hey," Carter said. "Where were you? You're late."

"I know." Nathan's voice was very lackadaisical, so cool it seemed like talking was too much work for him. "What's the score?"

"It's a tally used to indicate how many points each player has left, but that's not important," Carter parodied. "What's important is that Cary already has this guy backed into a corner with her Dragunity monsters."

"Thanks. I know what a _score_ is."

Carter made a face. "Then why'd you ask? Sheesh."

Hillary Delaney, sitting in the aforementioned wheelchair, looked back at Nathan with her knowing smile. "You know, Nathan; being late is not a good habit for a prefect to have."

Nathan groaned as he adjusted his seat. "I'm only a prefect on the grounds of not having a say in the matter." That and he kept winning his duels, rare as they are. Nathan had the lowest total number of duels of all the students at Duel Academy. Dueling tended to get in the way of his "doing nothing" time.

"Do you have a partner yet for the 3T?" asked Ivy Roaks. 3T is what the students started calling the big Tag Team Tournament because it was three syllables shorter and fifteen characters fewer.

Carter put on a half-excited expression and signaled between himself and Nathan with his thumb. "We're going to partner up and bring home the bacon." Then he stopped to look at Nathan and asked, "Wouldn't it be weird if the prize were bacon? A pile of bacon that big would be worth the ten-dollar buy-in. It would last a year." He got that far-off look in his eyes that showed he was imagining eating a pile of bacon the size of Delaware.

"The bacon would last, but _you_ wouldn't," Nathan clarified.

Ivy put one hand on Hillary's forearm and said, "I've got a better idea. Why don't _you_ and Nathan team up? Think about how good your chances will be if the two best freshman duelists work together."

"What about Rory and Jason?" Hillary asked. "They are better than I am."

"That's the humility talking," Ivy countered eagerly. "You two would make a great team."

"What about me?" Carter asked.

Ivy looked right at him and said, "You'd be great to have on Naoto's team." She intended that as a joke, suggesting that he would make even someone as good as Naoto lose. "I'm just kidding," she quickly said. "You and I can team up to help these two knock everyone else out of the tournament."

"Yeah," Carter agreed. "Then the four of us can split the prize money."

Nathan had a better idea. "What if Hillary and I split the money, and then we'll give you guys a commission for each _good_ team you actually manage to beat?" After all, if Carter and Ivy were to lose in the first round, they would hardly have pulled their weight for a quarter of the prize.

"Don't underestimate me," Ivy told him. "I'm obviously pretty good. Matt approached me about maybe joining Team OTK, _and_ a guy from Team Lockdown said I might be able to join them. You'd be lucky to have me on your team."

"That's true," Nathan replied.

Hillary smiled again. "So what do you say?"

Nathan shrugged. "I have no problem being partners with you. I can't promise I'm going to try real hard, but I guess I'll duel a few times. How many people are in the 3T?"

"We can ask Matt when this duel is over," Hillary replied. She already spotted Matt in the back of the convocation center talking with one of the duel arena technicians. She and the others planned to go talk to him afterward, anyway, in order to sign up for the tournament. Now they just had to see if Duel Academy would retain the status of premier dueling university, or if Godwin Academy was going to claim that status.

On the floor of the arena, Cary just finished a turn in which she summoned her Dragunity Knight – Vajuranda (6/1900/1200) and used its double-attack-points effect to destroy her opponent's Ambulance Rescueroid (6/2300/1800). Wallace responded with Supercharge in order to draw two more cards into his hand for a potential counterattack. Cary 7200: Wallace 2200.

The score was misleading, though; Wallace Hodges was not losing by the same degree as suggested by his Life Points. Despite being overpowered in the beginning, he successfully fended off Cary's early one-turn-kill strategy and managed to even out the field again. Cary actually struggled a bit to keep her field presence after her Dragunity assault failed, and Wallace hoped to take control of the duel and even everything out.

Wallace had a fair build, dark skin, and wild hair. He was actually the first black student representative from Godwin Academy, even though Duel Academy provided many over the years. Wallace wasn't undefeated, as so many representatives of Godwin Academy claim during the School Duel. In fact, Wallace didn't exaggerate his record at all; he didn't try to psych Cary out by bragging that he's never lost or never even been behind in Life Points. He simply told her that he was a strong duelist who managed his way to the top of Godwin Academy through strategy and patience. Inspired by his honesty, Cary informed him that she could beat anyone at Duel Academy with little or no preparation at the drop of a hat.

"Here we go!" Wallace said excitedly. "I summon Expressroid (4/400/1600), and that lets me take Drillroid and Steamroid from my Graveyard." Wallace's Expressroid looked like a pair of blue and white monorail cars with big eyes for headlights, just below the windshield. When it stopped, the door opened and showed two "roid" cards, representative of the two Wallace put in his hand. "Now I'll use Vehicroid Connection Zone to fuse Drillroid and Steamroid with Submarineroid." His three machines positioned themselves on the three directions of a large railway junction. When the Spell activated, all three machines moved into the junction and fused, reshaping into an enormous, pink vehicle with purple coloring on top and a massive drill bit at the nose. It had large treads on the underside and claws on the wings, which now looked a bit like oddly-shaped hands. "This is Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill (8/3000/2000)," Wallace announced proudly.

"I've seen it," Cary commented. "It's no big deal." And why shouldn't she believe that? Sure, it was bigger than Vajuranda (1900), but she had 5000 more Life Points than Wallace did and a Mirror Force Trap ready to go.

"Have you seen this?" Wallace asked. "Limiter Removal doubles the attack power of all the machines on my side of the field." Jumbo Drill (+6000) and Expressroid (+800) both seemed to snap something in their engines, and then they looked pumped up. "Now, let's drill straight through that Dragunity Knight (1900)." The giant drill bit on Jumbo Drill's anterior end began spinning rapidly, and then the treads carried the massive tank forward toward Cary's monster."

"I'll activate Mirror Force," Cary countered. A reflective wall appeared around her field and threatened to return fire against Wallace's monsters.

"There was a key point to my playing Vehicroid Connection Zone," Wallace told her. "Any Fusion monster summoned by that Spell is immune to destruction from effects. That means Jumbo Drill is completely unaffected by Mirror Force." The drill bit broke right through the reflective wall and shattered it.

"I know that," Cary explained, "but the effect still destroys your Expressroid, meaning you'll only have once monster with which to attack." Shards of glass from her Trap struck the Expressroid's engine and caused it to explode, as one always sees on TV. But even so, Jumbo Drill tore her red dragon rider in half, and the drill further shredded Cary's monster into tiny chunks before it disappeared.

"I'll set one card and end my turn." Cary 7300 – 4100 = 3200: Wallace 2200.

Wallace looked at the field with one of those smiles that said he was dying for Cary to ask him why Limiter Removal didn't destroy his Jumbo Drill. But she wasn't going to ask; not only did she already know why, he explained the effect of his Vehicroid Connection Zone just a few minutes ago.

'I honestly underestimated Wallace a great deal,' Cary thought to herself. 'I assumed he was an arrogant duelist convinced he was God's gift to the game because that is the reputation of Godwin Academy representatives—competition between our schools tends to bring out the worst in the players. But Wallace was not that kind of man. He was courteous and sincere throughout the duel. He first impressed me when he halted my one-turn-kill strategy with a single, well-played monster effect. Even so, I hadn't expected to face a 3000-point Vehicroid monster with only three cards in my hand.'

"That sounds cheesy," she muttered to herself. But she had plenty of time to change a few words here and there. She took a moment to write down that she drew Debris Dragon, one of her non-Dragunity monsters that still fit her deck theme. She quickly jotted down a few notes about the strategy she planned to implement.

"I'll play One for One and discard Transforming Sphere to Special Summon Dragunity Tribus (1/500/300) from my deck." A large, teal sphere sat on the ground and cracked open, revealing a man adorned in blue and white robes. He wore a cowl over his head and face that looked like that of a bird, and he had enormous wings on his back. "When Tribus is summoned, I get to send a Dragunity monster from my deck to the Graveyard, and I choose Pilum.

"And now I'll summon Debris Dragon (4/1000/2000)." Her field turned bright with the appearance of a white dragon with red muscle that resembled a small version of the popular Stardust Dragon. "When he's summoned, I can summon a monster from my Graveyard with 500 points or fewer, like the Transforming Sphere (3/100/100) I just discarded." The teal sphere reappeared on Cary's field, hovering above the ground; it was carried by a winged beast wearing white armor over its golden feathers. "Finally, I'll have Debris Dragon (4) tune with both my other monsters."

The white dragon began to shine as it wrapped its wings around Tribus (1) and Transforming Sphere (3). The light grew so bright no one could see the monsters fusing together. When the light finally faded, what remained was a large, blue dragon with purple muscle and Dragunity Angusticlavii riding its back. This was Dragunity Knight – Barcha (8/2000/1200).

"I know Barcha isn't a lot by himself," Cary admitted. "After all, he's a higher level with lower attack power than a few other Dragunity cards. But when he's summoned, I get to equip him with any dragon-type Dragunity monster in my Graveyard. I have Brandistock, Pilum, Phalanx, and Vajuranda." The mighty dragon assimilated the bodies of four other Dragunity monsters and drew energy from them. "Barcha (+3200) also gains 300 points for each equipped monster."

"That's a cool move," Wallace admitted. "But I got one, too. It's Shrink." When his card activated, Barcha shrunk significantly in size. "This card cuts your monster's power in half."

"His _original_ attack power," Cary clarified. "Barcha (-2200) still gets the full benefit of the four equipped Dragunity monsters. And when he's equipped with Pilum, Barcha gets the ability to attack directly." Barcha took flight, passed directly over Jumbo Drill, and Angusticlavii launched his javelin directly at Wallace for 1100 points.

"What's the deal?" Wallace asked. "I thought you were going to finish the duel right here. But your monster's points got cut in half."

"Pilum's effect allows direct attacks, but the damage is cut in half," Cary explained. "Fortunately, equipping Brandistock allows Barcha to attack twice in one turn." Barcha took flight once again and let fly another direct javelin attack. Cary 3200: Wallace 2200 – 1100 – 1100 = 0.

Cary didn't receive a standing ovation for her win or anything, but she did get a lot of procrastinators asking if she had a partner for the 3T yet.

"What's 3T?" Wallace asked her.

"One of our academy's dueling teams is hosting a big tag team tournament as a fundraiser. It's open to all students and even to the townies, as long as they pay ten bucks a head for registration. The winner gets half of the overall registration money, and the other half goes to the fundraising account."

"That sounds like a great idea," Wallace said. "People love tag team duels. Probably because they're so rare."

"And they tend to be a pretty great equalizer," she added. "People who dominate in one-on-one duels can be a lot less productive when they have to wait twice as long to take a turn. Plus, if your partner has a rough day or a lot of bad luck, it sometimes spills over to you, too."

"Good point. So when is it?"

"It starts tomorrow."

Wallace put a big grin on his face. "Maybe I should stick around for another day. You and I could clean up, don't you think?"

"We probably could," Cary admitted, "but it's not a one day thing; because there are so many participants, the tournament will take place over the next few weeks. Basically, the last round should be right before final exam week."

"Bummer. I coulda used another prize to put on my record."

Dr. Corbin West from Duel Academy and Dr. Hamlin Spengler from Godwin Academy, headmasters both, approached the duelists with very different expressions. Dr. West had a trademark smile that, even though genuine, always looked somewhat fake underneath that gray Tom Selleck mustache. Dr. Spengler had his trademark scowl, which he donned every morning he visited Duel Academy. He was never a fan of visiting because his students almost always lost the School Duel, but he also never passed up an opportunity to challenge Dr. West.

"That was a wonderful duel," Dr. West said cheerfully. With his rather stout, aged body, he would be a dead ringer for Santa Claus with the right getup. He even had the rosy cheeks now that the temperature was starting to fall outside.

"Not wonderful enough," Dr. Spengler said with his solid British accent. Wallace was a little bothered by that comment, but he didn't take it personally. The fact was Dr. Spengler really hated losing every year to Duel Academy, in no small part because he and Dr. West always gambled on the outcome, although they had to change the stakes since the god cards disappeared. It was a secret, unofficial wager that every student of both schools knew about.

"Don't discourage the boy," Dr. West reprimanded. He extended his hand to Wallace and said, "That was very impressive. I've seen Cary end many duels in the first few turns with that one-turn-kill strategy, but you didn't let her get the best of you so easily."

"Thank you, sir," Wallace replied. "I kind of saw it coming, so I just made sure I was ready."

"Yes, congratulations," Dr. Spengler commented sarcastically under his breath.

"Don't give Cary too much credit," Dr. West joked. He put on that goofy grin men of his age tend to when they want to make it obvious a joke is coming. He straightened his jacket collar and said, "After all, she learned everything she knows from me."

Wallace laughed and said, "Right." Cary just grinned to amuse her old headmaster.

Dr. Spengler had little interest in continuing the small talk. "Good effort, Mr. Hodges. Ms. Strickland… well played." Oddly enough, this was his way of being civil when he lost. He'd be better in a day or two after he had time to absorb the loss. "Corbin… You'll be hearing from me."

"I know I will," Dr. West said and shook Dr. Spengler's hand. "Allow me to escort you to the car."

Wallace took one last look at Cary and said, "That was fun. Thanks for the duel." As he gave Cary a hug, he added, "It's pretty clear why you're the best at this school."

"I'm not the best," she quickly clarified. "I'm _one_ of the best, but not the best."

Wallace went wide-eyed. "There are people here _better_ than you?" His expression settled into that handsome smile as he realized, "So that's why Dr. Spengler hates this school so much."

###

Matt had a difficult time getting close enough to Cary to congratulate her on her victory and pretend that he wasn't late. All the last-minute tag teamers swarmed him to make sure they got their registration in before the tournament brackets were put together. Rory was one of the first to approach Matt and strike up a conversation on the topic with Lili in tow.

"How's the tournament looking?" she asked.

Before Matt could formulate any kind of answer, Laura Guertin interrupted with, "We have a wonderful turnout. This should be a fascinating tournament."

"That's exciting," Rory said. "Do you think there's still room for Lili to sign up?"

Matt looked surprised. "You two didn't sign up together?"

Rory shook her head coyly while Lili explained, "She teamed up with the cute guy from the Duel Grille in town."

"Oh?" Rory couldn't tell, but Lili noticed a discernible look of disappointment on Matt's face at the thought of Rory spending time with another cute guy. "Is he any good?"

Rory just shrugged. "Lili didn't want to participate at first, then Tommy asked and Lili said I should go for it. It's just for fun, anyway. I don't expect to win. I think the only thing that changed Lili's mind was hearing how excited everyone else was getting about it." Lili nodded uncertainly, which suggested she might be interested now, but she didn't want anyone to think that she cared.

"What about Synthia?" Matt asked.

Rory pointed toward the exit of the building. "I don't know if you can see her, but she's over there talking with Clinton, her new partner." Matt was actually a little pleased to hear that Rory wasn't teaming up with Clint, even if she was with "cute grille guy."

"I'm sorry," Laura said solemnly. "Registration ended yesterday. Everything is already set up."

"Come on," Matt pleaded. "Don't you have a few other people listed who didn't have specific partners in mind?" He looked to Lili and explained, "We have a sort of 'free agent' list for people who want to duel but either can't find a partner or just don't want to pick one."

The latter suggestion showed how well he'd gotten to know Lili over the semester; she could have asked plenty of people who might have been interested in having a strong duelist as a partner, but she didn't like anyone else enough to ask. She was waiting _to be_ asked, and, ironically, most people assumed she'd say 'no' and didn't bother. She didn't mind the idea, though, of being randomly given a partner; it prevented the misconception that she actually cared about any of these losers.

"But the tournament is already set up," Laura objected.

"I'll fix it," Matt offered.

"No!" was Laura's immediate and very loud response. She cleared her throat, straightened herself out, and said, "I will do it." She looked to Desmond Vele, her "secret" boyfriend. "My assistant Desmond will take your registration fee."

"What does he assist with?" Lili asked. "Your choice in men's shampoos?"

Laura reacted with a wide-eyed expression identical to the one now worn by Desmond. They assumed no one would notice that they used the same shampoo that morning. Desmond sputtered a bit as he said, "How dare you!"

Matt broke the tension and shifted Laura's anger into embarrassment by laughing his head off. He also noticed that Laura and Desmond used the same shampoo this morning, but he didn't say anything because he didn't care. Besides, it was much funnier to see this reaction when they were called out by someone they didn't know well.

"She's kidding," Matt managed to force as he gasped for air. He finally got himself breathing correctly again. "Consider yourself a participant. Just make sure to give me your email address and I'll let you know—ow!" He rubbed his side in the spot where Laura jammed her elbow into his ribs. "Like I was saying, give Laura your email address and _she'll_ let you know who your partner will be."

"Fine," Lili replied curtly.

Nathan's entourage approached at that time, also wanting late entry into the tournament. Laura was not happy about it, but Matt had little trouble manipulating her into accepting them by threatening to take the lead on the project.

"I thought you were her boss," Ivy suggested.

Matt replied, "I like to think we're all equal partners in Team OTK. But yeah, I'm in charge." He gave a joking grin to Laura and Desmond as they wrote down the freshmen's information, then Matt leaned in to whisper, "She scares me more than Dr. Lankford does."

Carter noticed Lili's presence and asked, "Didn't you used to have some kind of vine tattoo on your arm?"

"At the beginning of the semester," she retorted. She pulled up her sleeve to show that now her arm was adorned with open boxes that looked like a chain fence wrapped up and down her arm. "Then it was concentric circles, and now it's this."

"How do you keep changing your tattoo?" Carter wondered.

"It's henna," Hillary answered. She looked to Lili for confirmation. "Isn't it?" She acknowledged that it was, and she looked surprised that Hillary knew that. "It's a temporary skin decoration using paste from the henna plant. It goes away after a while, which is one reason you mostly see it on arms and legs; more keratin in the skin there to bind with the coloring agent of the plant."

"That's impressive," Rory said. "I had to sit through Lili's history lesson to understand it. You just happened to know all that?"

"I had a few friends in high school who were Goths and very into henna."

Matt had a suggestion: "You should do the Ebbinghaus circles, one on each arm." Then he had to stop and remind everyone what that meant. The Ebbinghaus circles are two different sets of circles. In one set, eight small blue circles surround a larger red circle, and in the second set, six large blue circles surround a smaller red circle. The red circles are actually the same size, but because of the varying sizes of the blue circles, people rarely assess that the red circles are, in fact, the same size.

"You had your lunch money stolen a lot in high school, didn't you?" Carter replied. Lili grinned, partly because she was planning to make fun of Matt in the same way.

"Yes, but mostly because I had a hole in my pants pocket and didn't notice for six months," Matt joked back. "Well, you are all on the list. We'll send out emails tonight to let you know when and where your first duels will be tomorrow. Are you guys excited?"

"Very," Hillary said. Her partner, on the other hand, looked like he might be asleep on his feet, staring off into the distance as if watching something fascinating.

"Who's your partner?" Ivy asked Matt. "Probably Bryan. Are you guys the favorite?"

Matt laughed. He and Bryan probably would be a reckoning force in this tournament; they teamed up for a couple of duels last year when they participated in the Gathas Limitations Tournament and cleaned house. That was different, though; in one duel, they were restricted to monsters with fewer than 1000 AP, and in the other, Matt could only use Spells and Traps while Bryan could only use monsters. An actual tag duel would be a very different beast.

"I'm not participating," Matt told her. This was surprising news to all the freshmen. "I'm running the tournament." He quickly pulled his arm back to block Laura's second elbow jab before it hit his ribs. "Team OTK is running the tournament, and so it doesn't look so good for us to participate. We're just going to keep an eye on things and act as judges during the duels."

"Awesome!" Ivy replied. "Our odds just went way up. That means we don't have to worry about Cary's Dragunity monsters, after all. She's on the team, too."

"Maybe we _do_ have a good shot," Hillary suggested to Nathan.

He just shrugged. "Whatever."

###

Ellie was still trying to figure out what the deal was with Hayley. She heard through Darius who heard from Maikeru that Hayley might have multiple personalities, clinically termed Dissociative Identity Disorder. Hayley seemed to fit some of the symptoms—she seemed to have two completely different personalities depending on the day, she had obvious memory issues with regards to big events, she suffered headaches pretty commonly, and she even had asthma. That last symptom didn't seem to make any sense when Darius pointed it out, but a quick search of WebMD and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, version IV with text revisions, showed that Hayley's symptoms fit pretty well, although only a psychiatrist could make the diagnosis official.

Still hoping to find some kind of leverage to use in order to force Hayley to answer her questions, Ellie spent a second day following Hayley around just to see where she went and who she met. For the second time, Hayley actually had to knock on her own bedroom door and give a password before entering. When she knocked, she also said the word "Hayley," which was odd because it seemed too easy, and Ellie could swear Hayley said "Serpentina" last time. She really wanted to know the significance of those passwords. For now, she'd just have to keep following Hayley secretly… unless she decided to follow Darius's advice and actually _talk_ to Hayley sometime.

Hayley's room was where she spent a lot of her time with her two closest friends, Leila Lockhart and her brother Linear, both Yellow Dorm sophomores. As twins, they looked very similar; both had platinum blond hair, blue eyes, and oval-shaped heads with soft features. But as fraternal twins, they still had significant differences. Linear's hair was stringier, his forehead was larger, and his hairline had a Widow's peak; Leila also had smaller feet and bonier joints. He also tended to dress in T-shirts and shorts—something specifically intended to distinguish him from his sister in her long skirts and blouses.

Although physical descriptions between the twins were more similar than different, the same wasn't always true of their personalities. Neither was especially outgoing or friendly, but at least Leila made the effort to acknowledge other people who spoke to her; Linear tended to ignore them altogether. Linear was also noticeably less patient; at least Leila let people finish talking before she decided they were stupid and manipulative. They both had a tendency to distrust others and distance themselves from those whom they viewed as manipulative, and Linear could even be caustic when people threatened his sister or in any way suggested he had a feminine face.

That's how the twins tended to be in class or at school functions. But when they were together with their friends, primarily Hayley, the two could actually be rather cheerful. Linear was easygoing and caring toward those he liked, and Leila was actually a bit hyperactive. These behaviors are why Hayley took a liking to the twins and began spending time with them. Even though she didn't _like_ to section herself off, she sometimes felt it was necessary.

"What did she do?" Linear asked. He was almost always sitting on Leila's bed playing with a laptop, but he usually put it aside when Hayley wandered in. Most of the time, he needed to spend all his focus figuring out _which_ Hayley it was.

Hayley showed a bit of disgust when she said, "She's been making out with Victor," but she couldn't completely hide that look of fear.

"Oh, that's not good," Leila agreed. She watched Hayley go into her purse for an aspirin, and she happened to notice the inhaler. "You've been using your inhaler again? I thought you said you haven't needed it since you were a kid."

"Well, finding out that my dark side has been making out with people causes me significant stress, which exacerbates my asthma," Hayley explained.

Linear wondered, "How far did the make-out session go?"

"I'd rather not know," she quickly replied. She popped a couple of aspirin and pulled a card from her duel deck. It was the White Magician Pikeru, her personal favorite card and one that always acted as a way to keep her calm and collected. The twins knew that Hayley received that card from her brother, who meant the world to her.

"There's a rumor going around that you're the Ghost Duelist," Linear said. He told her that he heard a few students talking about it on their way to the convocation center this morning. Apparently someone saw her in the woods last night. This was not good news for Hayley.

Leila suggested, "It might be time to talk to someone. You said you'd consider it if things got to the point where Serpentina was doing things that could ruin your life."

"I'd say making out with Victor fits that bill," Linear said with a laugh.

Hayley still looked concerned. She hoped to keep her problem a secret until she could figure out a way to take complete control over her alters. But Leila was right; things were starting to get really tough. She knew Serpentina was taking control at night because every single morning, Hayley woke up exhausted and with no memory of a significant portion of the day.

She finally accepted, "Maybe I should go see Dr. Kerr."

* * *

_This came out so much longer than I thought it would, and that was only half a duel. I'm going to have to move some of the ideas I had for this chapter (including introducing some Yu-Gi-Oh! concepts and a few more characters) to a later chapter. I'll warn now that I may have to make the tag duels a bit unlikely (i.e., the players get awfully lucky when they draw) just to make sure they don't run on too much._

_For anyone curious, asthma really is a physical ailment common with DID. So is irritable bowel syndrome, but I didn't want to give that to Hayley._

_I apologize for inadvertantly lying to you last time. _Next_ time will show the start of the tag tournament__, and this time, I'm sure.__  
_

_Credits:_  
_Darius Mantzios...tiramisu19_  
_Jason Maxim...Maxim and Knight_  
_Nathan Zislaw...Mavrik Zero_  
_Hillary Delaney...Nodqfan144_  
_Lili Von...Happy2BMe_  
_Carter Jade...Jaden2010  
Mitsuro Itachu...Titanic X  
Sean Bivins...DarkVestroia2_  
_Naoto Kurotsuki...Kurotsuki Haru_  
_Hayley Wilson...TeamRocketDiva_  
_Maikeru Stone...onyxshade7  
Victor Rocks & __Abel Shinzou...Iron-Arm-V_  
_Alister Kazama & Jessica Parks...ZaneKazama001_  
_Synthia Spencer...Madly Chessur_  
_Leila & Linear Lockhart...Windraider_  
_Everyone else so far...YamiRuss_


	13. Begin the Duel Academy 3T

Chapter 13: Begin the Duel Academy 3T

Matt was lucky to be conscious enough to tell himself to get up when his alarm when off. He sat on the bed for a moment rubbing his face to get the blood flowing. When his vision finally returned, he glanced at those red numbers and figured out what time it was… thirty minutes later than the time his alarm went off the first time. Obviously he wasn't conscious _every_ time the alarm went off.

"I'm going to be late again…" he mumbled to himself as he got up to get dressed. He had to skip his sit-ups this morning, but at least he got in a decent run. The night before, Laura put together a list of the duels for the day and sent it to the other members of Team OTK. Being the sponsors of the tournament, the team was responsible for judging each individual match in case of any discrepancy in the rulings and to make sure winners were recorded appropriately. Of course, schedules had to be taken into account because classes were not suspended for this tournament and jobs did not grant time off, either. Most duels were scheduled for either early mornings or late afternoons and evenings.

Matt had to book it for the Wal-Mart. That's where he was schedule to meet up with four duelists to kick off the tournament. Alister Kazama and Jessica Parks, two Duel Academy students from the Yellow Dorm were scheduled to take on two young adults from Kazuki. Matt figured this one to be a real quick duel—one he probably didn't even show up for. Alister and Jessica were known for their prowess in tag duels. Having been friends since they were kids, and boyfriend-girlfriend since early high school, they knew one another very well, from the cards in their decks in the strategies each comes up with during a duel. Seeing them with identical Duel Disks, bought simultaneously at the same store back home, and wearing yellow jackets only one size apart, Matt thought they even started to look alike.

Speaking of looking alike, the townies selected as opponents for this first match were a pair of twins who worked at the Wal-Mart in Kazuki. Unlike the Lockharts, Ryan and Aaron Jones were identical twins. They were both of average height, very skinny, had stringy, brown hair and brown eyes, and both wore glasses with identical frames, not to mention the Wal-Mart vests each wore. If they hadn't been wearing name tags, Matt would have had no clue which was which.

And one other person was present—someone Matt hadn't expected to see.

"Hey, Matt," Cary said. She looked confused. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought I was judging this duel," he said. Then he briefly turned to greet Alister and Jessica and introduce himself to the Bobsey twins.

"What made you guys come out for this tournament?" Matt asked, genuinely curious. "Going up against students who study dueling is going to be tough."

Aaron agreed, "That's true. We just have so much fun dueling, we figured we'd try it out and see how far we can go."

Ryan added, "And since we sell Duel Monsters cards here, we got access to a lot of good cards. We built a couple of decks specifically for tag team dueling."

"We probably won't last real long," Aaron said, "but we'll definitely put up a good fight with these cards. We read a whole bunch of articles on tag team dueling and watched a bunch of videos on Youtube." Matt simply told them that sounded like an awesome way for someone without a lot of experience to learn.

Alister asked him, "Do you really think we'll need two judges for this duel? Tag Team duels aren't that complicated."

"We should still go over the rules," Cary pointed out, "just because Tag Team duels are not as common, and there seem to be so many different sets of 'house rules' these days. As far as there being _two_ judges… At this point Matt is just here to watch. According to the schedule, he got out of bed for nothing."

"Nice to feel wanted," Matt commented, thinking about his bed again.

Ryan told him, "I know what you mean. When I first started working the morning shift, it took me forever to adjust to waking up so early."

Matt argued, "It's not that I'm not used to getting up early. I've just been so busy I've been exhausted."

"Motion on the table of 'nobody cares,'" Cary said. "Anyone second it?" Jessica raised her hand, then Alister said, "Third." Cary eagerly said, "Great. Let's get this duel under way. We'll start with the rules."

"Marquess of Queensbury rules," Matt interrupted. "No wrestling, only three minutes per round, and no shoes or boots with spikes or sprigs allowed."

Cary looked at him for a moment. "It's amazing you can brush your own teeth." She leaned in just a bit closer to his face and added, "Which you should do more often, by the way."

Matt cupped his hand over his mouth and said, "I put garlic on my bagel this morning."

The tag duelers were perfectly amused to watch Cary insult Matt every time he tried to make a joke, but the twins had a limited time before their shifts started, and so it was necessary to get through the _actual_ rules and begin the duel.

Each _player_ gets five monster zones and five spell/trap zones to himself or herself. Each also has a space for a Field Spell, but like always, playing a new Field Spell destroys a previous one. Each player uses his or her own deck and Graveyard and does not have access to his or her partner's cards unless specifically stated by the effect of a card. Limited cards, as designated by the lists Kaiba Corp regularly puts out, are limited for each player, but not each team; for example, every player could have one copy of Pot of Greed in the deck.

In terms of the duel itself, each team gets 8000 Life Points. Players only get to control the monsters on their respective quadrants of the field; Jessica can't summon a monster for Alister to use for example. On the other hand, the partner's monsters could be used for Tributes, fusions, or tuning. Perhaps the most significant rule involved massive effects:

"Any card that designates a massive effect against the opponent only affects only one opponent," Cary explained. "That's your Lighting Vortexs, your Mirror Forces, and so on. Anything that affects _both_ sides of the field will hit all four of you. That would be something like Heavy Storm or Torrential Tribute. Everyone got that?"

"We're good," Jessica agreed. Aaron and Ryan said they were pretty sure they understood, as well.

"Good. Then duel."

As the four duelists prepared to get things going, Matt stepped beside Cary and requested, "Tell me again why I'm not judging this duel."

"How can I tell you _again_? I didn't tell you the first time."

Matt laughed. "I didn't realize you were so picky about adverb use. In that case, Ms. Smart Girl, please tell me why I misread the schedule."

"You didn't," she replied. "Originally, Laura planned for you to judge the duels on that list. But then she found out that someone was making book on this tournament. She assumed it was you, and she didn't think it was right for the bookie to be someone in a position to influence the outcomes of the duels. She was tempted not to let me judge your duels until I convinced her that I don't actually like you."

He chuckled. "That must have been some lie you told her."

"Who says I lied?" She had a hell of a Poker face, too, Matt hoped.

Ryan chimed in to say, "If you want to make your case, I know who the guys is taking bets on the tournament. He hangs out at the bike shop over on Main Street."

"A bike shop?" Matt repeated. "That doesn't sound like the kind of hangout for a bookie."

"_Motorcycles_," Alister clarified.

"Oh. Wait, we have a motorcycle shop in town?"

Jessica laughed. "You've been here for three semesters and you've never gone into town to check it out?" Matt sheepishly admitted he had not. "Well, you should. There's actually a lot of stuff out there." Ryan and Aaron began offering suggestions of places to go.

"I came from a small town," Matt reminded them. "There was never anything to do there without going into the city. This town is even smaller, so I just assumed it would be the same."

"Avesta isn't a college town," Cary pointed out. Matt acknowledged that one as a fair point.

Matt figured he'd go check out the bookie for two reasons: He wanted to know what kind of person was running odds on a tournament for which he was largely responsible, and he wanted to make sure this was not the kind of person who would try to interfere in order to make big bucks. Ryan and Aaron told him the address and how to get there.

"I have a pretty tight schedule today, and this kind of thing is better done sooner," Matt said. "It was nice seeing all of you, though. I can't wait to find out who wins."

"It was nice meeting you," Aaron said as Matt left.

Cary had a different thought: "Good riddance. Now let's duel."

By random selection, Aaron got the first turn. He was aware that in a regular duel, the first player to draw cannot attack during his turn; in tag dueling, _no one_ can attack until every player has had a chance to draw. That meant Aaron didn't have to worry about too much on this turn.

"I'll summon Morphtronic Celfon (1/100/100)," he announced excitedly. His attempt was to sound as confident as all the people he'd seen duel on TV, but he really just sounded like he was half his age. His monster was a yellow robot that looked a lot like a Transformer capable of becoming a really big cellular phone.

"When he's in attack mode, I can activate his effect and roll a die." The Duel Disk projectors provided the die for him. It bounced into the air and landed on the field revealing two dots. "That means I can look at my top two cards." He picked up the top two cards from his deck and looked at them. "Sweet! One of my cards is a Morphtronic monster, so I get to summon it and shuffle the other card back into the deck." He played Morphtronic Boarden (3/500/1800), a blue monster that looked like a Tranformer capable of becoming a rocket-powered skateboard, but he summoned it in defense mode. "I'll also put three cards facedown, and that's all for now."

Alister didn't say anything as he drew, but he could tell how little experience Aaron had from that move. Instead, he calmly drew his card and took a more patient approach to the duel. "I'll set a monster in defense mode."

Ryan also looked excited. "I'll play Morphtronic Scopen (3/800/1400)." This one was a black, microscope Transformer. "When he's in attack mode, I get to summon another Morphtronic monster that's level four. I pick Morphtronic Boomboxen (4/1200/400)." This one was a red, stereo-like Transformer. "I'm also going to tune Boomboxen (4) and Scopen (3) together to summon Power Tool Dragon (7/2300/2500)." Both of his monsters morphed into their appliance forms, with the radio set on the stage of the microscope. After a lot of vibrating and shining lights, the monsters combined into a large, mechanical dragon with cables for a body, golden armor around its chest, wings, and legs, and with hands made of a clamp and a screwdriver.

"Now," Ryan said, "Power Tool Dragon lets me pick three equip cards from my deck and have you pick one at random." He took a little longer to find the cards he wanted than he would if he recognized his cards as easily as regular duelists do. "Here we go." He held out his cards so Alister, Jessica, and Cary could all see them. They were all copies of Double Tool C&D. "You pick one of them for me to put in my hand, and the others get shuffled back into my deck."

"We all know where this is going," Cary objected. "Go ahead and keep a copy."

"Okay," Ryan said with a chuckle as he shuffled his deck and loaded it back into his Duel Disk. "I'll equip Power Tool Dragon with Double Tool C&D, and then I'll set one card." The card changed the equipment on Power Tool Dragon's arms; the clamp was replaced with a circular saw and the screwdriver was replaced with a drill.

"That makes it my turn," Jess noted. She winked at Alister. "May I?"

"By all means," he replied, motioning toward his field. He knew the second he saw Aaron's first card that Jessica was going to take the lead in this tag duel, and he didn't mind.

Jessica said, "I'll send Alister's monster to the Graveyard to summon Machine King (6/+2600/2000)." The machine Jessica summoned was taller than she was; with its lanky appearance, it looked a lot like a giant action figure, if it were made with real machinery. As a bonus, Machine King gained 100 points for every machine face-up on the field, including all the Morphtronic monsters Ryan and Aaron were playing.

"Uh, oh," Aaron said to his brother with a laugh. "Her monster is stronger than yours."

"Don't worry," Jessica replied. "I'll just set two cards and end my turn."

Aaron looked surprised. "I thought you'd attack. I would have." Jessica just patiently smiled. She knew the effect of Double Tool C&D would require that she attack Power Tool Dragon, and it would destroy her Machine King; on top of that, Power Tool Dragon's effect would prevent its destruction during that attack. Aaron decided to summon Morphtronic Radion (4/+1800/900), a yellow radio-based Transformer whose effect increased the attack of all Morphtronic monsters on the field by 800 points.

"I'll also use Celfon's effect again." The holographic die rolled once more, this time revealing five dots. He picked up five cards from his deck and selected a monster from among them. "I get to Special Summon my Morphtronic Magnen (3/+1600/800)." If a U-shaped magnet opened up on one side into arms and legs, that would be Magnen. "Now I'm going to switch Boarden (+1300) to attack mode." Each Morphtronic monster comes with two effects, depending whether it is in attack or defense mode. In defense mode, Boarden prevents the destruction of Morphtronic monsters, but in attack mode, it grants direct attack ability.

Jessica pressed her Duel Disk. "I'll activate Staunch Defender." Her Trap rose, and her Machine King grew until it covered her field, blocking her body entirely. "During this turn, all your monsters have to attack Machine King (+2800)."

Aaron double-checked his Traps and signaled that he had a question for Cary. "Can I use Morphtronic Forcefield?" She told him he could not; the effect negated any Spell or Trap that would destroy a Morphtronic monster. "But her Trap _will_ destroy my monsters."

"It's not the Trap that destroys them," Cary clarified. "It's attacking a bigger monster."

And so Aaron had to watch his own monsters attack the Machine King instead of declaring direct attacks. Zane and Jessica 8000: Ryan and Aaron 8000 – 1200 – 1400 – 1700 – 700 = 3000.

"That sucked," Ryan commented. "I thought you had some Traps set up."

"I did," Aaron said, "but that's only when _they_ attack. I forgot to prepare for my own attacks."

_A common mistake among the less experienced,_ Alister thought to himself. _And Matt._

Upon beginning his turn, Alister looked to Jessica. "You know how you owe me one now?"

She just smiled. "Go right ahead."

"Thanks." He looked back to the field. "I'll start by playing Twin Swords of Flashing Light – Tryce." Two swords, each with golden, M-shaped guards and a soft, green glow encompassing the metal appeared in Power Tool Dragon's (-1800) reach. "I need that card to be on the field before I can summon Guardian Tryce (5/1900/1700), but first I need to Tribute Machine King." The Machine King disappeared, and in its place appeared a man wearing light clothes colored blue and gold.

"You got rid of the big Machine for that?" Ryan asked.

"It looks that way," Alister replied. "I'm also going to give something else to your monster: the Shooting Star Bow – Ceal." A shining, ornate bow appeared in the reach of Power Tool Dragon (-800). "Equipping this card lets your monster attack directly, but it also decreases attack power by 1000 points. Now Tryce (1900) is stronger than your machine dragon." Alister's warrior dashed forward and planted his fists into the chest of the Power Tool Dragon; the saw and drill equipped to the Power Tool Dragon cut Tryce before he could retreat, however, and destroyed him.

"That was dumb," Ryan said with a smile, trying not to sound as condescending as he did. "Double Tool C&D destroys any monster that attacks Power Tool Dragon, and Power Tool Dragon's effect lets me send your Shooting Star Bow to the Graveyard to keep my dragon alive."

Alister nodded. "I did plan that out. But the destruction of Tryce also lets me summon the monster that was used to summon him in the first place: Machine King (+2400)." Jessica's Graveyard opened and the Machine King climbed out, but it moved to Alister's side of the field. "And it's still my Battle Phase, so I'll declare another attack on Power Tool Dragon (+1800)."

"He's still got Double Tool C&D," Aaron commented.

Ryan agreed. "Yeah. You'll just destroy your monster again."

"No, he won't," Jessica argued. "My facedown card is Collected Power. It takes all the Equip Spells on the field and gives them to Machine King (-1900)." The Twin Swords appeared in Machine King's hands, decreasing his power by 500 points.

As Aaron started to do the math for him, Alister said, "Don't worry about our Machine King. I've got Rush Recklessly ready to play. It will give him the extra 700 points he needs." Machine King (+2600) lunged at Power Tool Dragon (+2300) and sliced directly through with one of the swords of flashing light. "And don't forget, the Twin Swords let us attack twice." Machine King lunged again and struck Ryan directly. Alister and Jessica 8000: Ryan and Aaron 3000 – 1100 – 300 – 2500 = 0.

"Aw, man," Aaron moaned, but with excitement in his voice. "That was a lot faster than I expected it to be."

"Yeah, I thought we'd put up a_ little_ bit of a fight," Ryan agreed.

"You did," Jessica assured them. She made sure they knew that she and Alister worked together for a long time and just happened to work really well together. Aaron and Ryan would probably have put up a great fight against another pair of students.

"I guess we get to work early today," Ryan suggested. He and his brother shook hands with their opponents and with Cary, then headed through the parking lot into the Wal-Mart.

Cary said, "That was pretty quick."

Jessica grinned and looked at Alister. "Well, we did get invited to Duel Academy after winning an international tag team tournament. That one hosted by the Princeton Group?"

"The Princeton Tag Team Paradox," Alister remembered. "We were called 'The Best Tag Team Duo since the Paradox Brothers.' The recruiter from Kaiba Corp. didn't look at all happy that the Princeton group was giving out a title like that."

"I remember," Jessica laughed. "He basically assured us admission here, and then Dr. Lankford got all pissy and acted like we were given preferential treatment." In reality, they were given preferential treatment, but totally deserved and in the image-protection kind of way; after the Princeton Group made it known they crowned the youth tag champions, Kaiba Corp. snatched them up in order to make sure they were always associated with the top name in dueling.

Cary confessed, "I don't know what the bookie's odds are, but I'd put my money on you two hands-down."

Matt didn't have a lot of trouble finding the motorcycle shop. It was connected to an auto-mechanic's place by a shared garage. He peeked inside the bike shop, but when he saw no one inside, he decided to take a look inside the garage. The door was wide open, and that usually meant "Come on in," right?

The first thing he saw was the place was mostly empty. It wasn't a huge garage, which explained the maze of cars parked outside, but only one car was up on the lift, and no one was working on it. Matt figured seven-thirty in the morning was earlier than the place really opened. In the other half of the garage, Matt saw a young woman working on a motorcycle like none he'd ever seen. Its basic frame resembled a motorcycle, but it had a lot of extra equipment attached to it. The first thing he noticed was that there was a Duel Disk attached to the handlebars right near the throttle. As he stepped closer, Matt noticed there were actually cables and wires connecting the Duel Disk to the motorcycle's engine battery.

The young woman noticed Matt's approach. She was fairly attractive, though a bit too abrasive-looking for Matt's taste. She had four piercings in her left ears and three more in her right, a stud in her nose, and a visible tattoo of a skull with wings starting on her neck and going beneath the black leather jacket she wore. Her red hair was obviously colored, not even to her shoulder in length and pulled back just in the middle of her head in order to keep her bangs out of her eyes. She was about five-foot-ten and looked like she might weigh 140 pounds—perhaps less without all the piercings, the heavy leather, and the big boots.

"Hey. Sorry, but we're not open until nine." She had a rather soothing voice for someone who looked so brash.

Matt decided not to reveal his true intent until he got a feel for this woman. He quickly put on a somewhat dopey, vapid expression. "I'm Moose Eaglesham," he said in a sturdier, slightly deeper and much slower, voice than his regular voice. "I was just checking things out and wondered what you were doing with that bike." He tried to look like he was interested, but also like he was just "there" and couldn't really care less what anyone else was doing.

"We're working on the next generation of dueling," she said.

Matt repeated, "We?"

Now he saw that someone else was underneath the bike, approaching from the side opposite where Matt stood. This person wore a T-shirt—plain white except for the Rorschach oil stains—with the sleeves torn off and a pair of blue jeans. He had an odd grin on his face, too; it was that combination of mischief and disappointment.

"Bryan?"

He wiped the grease from his hands as he sat up. Indeed, this was apparently the location to which Bryan disappeared when he wandered off of campus.

Matt asked him, "Where did you get the money to tinker with a motorcycle? Don't tell me you've been pulling from your savings account."

"This is what savings are for: investing in a revolutionary product. Imagine the returns when I sell this bad boy to Kaiba Corp. I mean, Moose, was it?" Matt just made a face. "Wouldn't you love to duel on one of these monsters?"

"You are aware that using even a hands-free cell phone while driving makes an accident four times as likely?" Matt asked, reciting some of the research he read in his critical thinking class. "And the Mythbusters said texting while driving is just as bad as driving drunk." Now, his voice got softer as the intensity of his words grew. "What do you think _dueling_ while driving will do to the rate of accidents?"

Bryan shrugged. "I don't know. It's not like people are going to do this in the streets; it will be in an actual arena. Like NASCAR, except people won't just be driving in a circle… They'll be driving in a circle while dueling."

"Which will make accidents happen a lot more often," Matt stressed.

"Which is great because that's all people really want when they watch NASCAR, anyway."

Matt stopped talking for a minute so he could take a deep breath and gather his thoughts into a more coherent statement that didn't involve motorcycle accidents. "What happened to that big bag of spare cards we kept in your room?"

"I gave 'em away," he replied simply. Before Matt could react, he added, "We weren't using them. They were doing no one any good just sitting under my bed."

"I was in the middle of rebuilding my deck."

"Again? Geez. Pick a theme and stick with it. I thought you stuck with that massive one-turn-kill deck you used against Dave—the one with, like, eight different strategies."

Matt reminded him, "I took it apart because it doesn't work against aggressive decks, remember? It only worked against Dave a few times because his deck is passive. _You_ beat it in one try."

"I don't remember that. Oh, well." He walked to a nearby bench and grabbed a clipboard. "Any chance you want to put some money down on the 3T? You can bet on individual duels or you can bet on how far someone will make it through the tournament. Obviously, the higher the risk, the greater the returns. Overall, Alister Kazama and Jessica Parks are favored to win the whole thing. Did you know they got invited to Duel Academy on a tag duel?"

Matt didn't know, nor did he care at this point. "When are you coming back?"

Bryan just shrugged. "Who knows? I don't really see a point right now."

Then Matt delivered the real arrow. "Did you really break up with Lucy just because a freshman likes her?"

Bryan hesitated before answering. At first he looked distinctly upset, but his expression turned to a smug, forced grin. "You're welcome to try again with her. Maybe you'll be able to keep her attention this time. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some work to do. I hear dueling while driving is dangerous, and I need to make some adjustments." He lay back on the board and slid underneath the motorcycle again.

Matt hadn't seen Bryan quote like this before. He was a stubborn guy, but never like this. All Matt could do for the moment was hope Bryan didn't kill himself on that motorcycle.

* * *

_You'll either enjoy the introduction of the thought process that leads to the development of Duel Runners, or you will hate it and think I should just stay away from all things 5D's. It won't play a big role in this story, though. I imagine it took _years _for Kaiba Corp to develop anything that wouldn't crash as soon as you try to play a card. And those statistics I used regarding using a phone while driving? They are real; don't doubt science (see McEvoy et al., 2005)._

_So it turns out writing a tournament within a few chapters is harder than I thought it would be. I want to have a lot of people participate, and so I may have a chapter or two in which nothing happens except a duel. I wanted to avoid that, but I also want to avoid making chapters annoyingly long. The last chapter is a good example of my not realizing how long it would take to get through a conversation among students. Apparently I do that a lot as the characters develop full personalities._

_The next chapter will include minor developments in Lucy and Kasumi, and I'm going to introduce one reader-submitted character I haven't used yet. That means two duels, so please bear with me and expect a long chapter next time. I will try to update in two weeks; I only have two chapters remaining in my other current story, and I want to finish it off._

_Credits:_  
_Darius Mantzios...tiramisu19_  
_Jason Maxim...Maxim and Knight_  
_Nathan Zislaw...Mavrik Zero_  
_Hillary Delaney...Nodqfan144_  
_Lili Von...Happy2BMe_  
_Carter Jade...Jaden2010  
Mitsuro Itachu...Titanic X  
Sean Bivins...DarkVestroia2_  
_Naoto Kurotsuki...Kurotsuki Haru_  
_Hayley Wilson...TeamRocketDiva_  
_Maikeru Stone...onyxshade7  
Victor Rocks & __Abel Shinzou...Iron-Arm-V_  
_Alister Kazama & Jessica Parks...ZaneKazama001_  
_Synthia Spencer...Madly Chessur_  
_Leila & Linear Lockhart...Windraider_  
_Everyone else so far...YamiRuss_


	14. Teamwork is a Tricky Thing

Chapter 14: Teamwork is a Tricky Thing

As if Matt didn't have enough to worry about with all the work he had to do, plus the added stress of Bryan's skipping campus to work on a dueling death trap, Kasumi continued to add undue stress to him. When she wasn't making him feel guilty about the fact that there are other women at Duel Academy, she was participating in the 3T with her ex-boyfriend as her partner. Matt trusted her, of course, but it was less than fun to see the two of them together.

Thomas Estrada was basically carrying Kasumi through the tournament, unfortunately. She continued to let her relationship affect her focus, and so she didn't plan the course of events in her duels well. At present, she and Thomas were on the quad dueling against Bobby Loper and Lori Colman, both members of Team Lockdown, and Kasumi's lack of contribution to the duel gave both her opponents a chance to set up their lockdown strategies.

Lori just ended her turn after her Mystical Knight of Jackal (7/2700/1200)—a powerful jackal with blue, Egyptian garments—destroyed Kasumi's Red-Eyes Black Dragon (7/-1700/2000)—whose name pretty well describes the monster. Because of the Mystical Knight of Jackal's effect, the Red-Eyes went back to the top of Kasumi's deck, meaning she simply drew it back to her hand on her turn.

Kasumi had Vanguard of the Dragon (4/-1300/1300), a blue-skinned bipedal dragon with a spear and a shield, on the field in defense mode. Thomas had Iron Blacksmith Kotetsu (2/-300/500), a tattooed man with a potbelly and a forging hammer; Sunlight Unicorn (4/-1400/1000), a white horse with blue flames in place of its tail and mane and a single horn upon its forehead; and Marauding Captain (3/-900/400), an armored warrior with two swords in hand, on his field. All Lori had in play was her Mystical Knight of Jackal and a Spell called Burden of the Mighty; it lowered the attack points of Kasumi's and Thomas's monsters by 100 times the monsters' levels. Bobby only summoned Rocket Jumper (3/1000/800), but he also played Kaiser Colosseum, which surrounded the field with stone walls and an orange arena, and Judgment of the Desert, a purple air that prevented any monsters on the field from changing Battle Positions.

Kasumi didn't have much choice in what to do, even if she were playing at the top of her game. All she had in her hand was her Red-Eyes and Defense Draw. She had Vanguard of the Dragon (4/-1300/1300) on the field in defense mode, and Thomas had three monsters, but Kasumi couldn't Tribute any of them to summon her Red-Eyes because Bobby had Kaiser Colosseum on the field. As long as the holographic coliseum surrounded the duel field, Kasumi and Thomas couldn't summon monsters if it meant they would have more monsters on the field than Lori and Bobby did. Even sending two as Tributes for the Red-Eyes would put three monsters on Kasumi's field to the opponent's two.

"I'll set a card and end my turn," Kasumi said sullenly.

"Sucks to be you," Bobby commented, to which Kasumi replied, "Yeah, we know." Bobby ignored his hand and said, "I'll attack with Rocket Jumper (1000)." His monster was an ugly imp with a rocket strapped to his back. He activated the rocket and hopped right over all the monsters to attack Kasumi and Thomas directly; as long as all their monsters were in defense mode, Rocket Jumper could attack directly.

Kasumi and Thomas 3300 – 1000 = 2300: Bobby and Lori 5100.

"Don't get cocky," Thomas warned Bobby. "If your strategy were perfect, you would be the leader of your team. Allow me to spell it out for you; I can't summon a monster even by Tributing one or two of those on the field. I can, however, Tribute three of them." He sent his Iron Blacksmith and Marauding Captain along with Kasumi's Vanguard to the Graveyard. A sudden bolt of lightning hit the field and revealed Gilford the Lightning (8/-2000/1400), a thoroughly muscular man wearing heavy armor and carrying a massive sword.

"Even with Gilford on the field," Thomas said, "we have equal numbers of monsters, thus getting us around your Kaiser Colosseum. And when Gilford is summoned this way, he wipes out your monsters. As per the tag duel rules, I choose to destroy the monsters on Lori's field." Gilford's sword charged with electricity, and one swipe channeled the energy into the Mystical Knight of Jackal, destroying it. "Now I'll use the effect of my Sunlight Unicorn; I look at the top card on my deck—" he picked it up— "and it is an Equip Spell. That means I get to put it in my hand." He smiled and said, "Now I'll play Double Summon so I can summon one more monster."

"Count the field again, genius," Bobby said. "We've only got one monster and you've already got two."

"And I'll send them _both_ to the Graveyard to summon Gilford the Legend (8/-1800/2000)," Thomas elaborated. His new warrior was a different form of Gilford, this time with a fuller breastplate and a mantle covering his upper body. He also carried a massive broadsword in his hand with many other swords sheathed around his torso. "When he's summoned, I can equip him with any Equip Spells that are in my Graveyard. Remember how you were so pleased to destroy my fully-armed Ben Kei earlier?"

Lori remembered. It was her Dimensional Prison that removed Ben Kei from play, but all his equip cards went to the Graveyard instead. Now they all reappeared on the field for Gilford to use: United We Stand, Mage Power, Fusion Sword Murasame Blade, and Big Bang Shot.

"With all of these cards, Gilford (+5800) is a force to be reckoned with." Just before he pressed the button to start his Battle Phase, he added, "Oh, right. I also have the card I drew by Sunlight Unicorn; Divine Sword – Phoenix Blade increases his points by another 300 points." Gilford drew a silver claymore with a gold hilt in one hand and a glowing katana in the other. He dashed forward and performed an X-slash on Bobby's Rocket Jumper (1000). "I think that's enough for now," Thomas added smugly.

Kasumi and Thomas 2300: Bobby and Lori 5100 – 5100 = 0.

Fusayo stepped forward and formally declared the end of the duel. "It looks like Team Lockdown lost," he said. "Now there's a big surprise."

Lori just scoffed, "Go stuff a duck."

Thomas was glad to win because it meant he and Kasumi got to move on to the next round, and because he was establishing himself as a candidate for Team OTK. With wins like that, he was well on his way. He put his arm around Kasumi to try to get her as excited about winning as he was.

"Smile," he insisted. "We make a pretty good team."

Kasumi huffed. "_You_ make a good team. _I_ choke like Tennessee Williams on a bottle cap."

"Aw, don't say that," Thomas scolded her gently. "You're a great duelist. You're one of the best here. You're just in a bit of a rut because you _think_ you're bad. If you stop worrying about the outcome and just duel like you used to, you'll rise to the top again. Dueling prowess aside, you're the most beautiful duelist anywhere; and if Matt were any kind of real man, he would remind you on a regular basis."

"He does," Kas replied. "I just find it hard to believe him when he spends so much of his time flirting with a cute freshman."

"He's an idiot," Thomas said with great emphasis. "I've been telling you that for a long time. He's the kind of guy who's never happy with what he has. If you were to dump him, he'd suddenly start pining and being romantic to try to get you back."

Kas flinched at the thought of testing that. She always thought Matt the kind to adapt to his life as it was and never to make a real decision to change anything; she was the one who had to ask him out, after all. If she broke up with him, Matt would probably revert to his old ways rather quickly, and she feared he would never even give her a second thought. But as long as they were still dating, she had time to figure out how to fix things.

"Come on," Thomas said as he put his arm around her. "Let me take you to lunch."

"Take me?" she repeated. "We're going to the dorm's dining hall. I hardly consider that 'taking me' to lunch."

Then she heard a voice she wasn't expecting say, "Did you just ask out my girlfriend, Estrada?" Thomas groaned as he turned and laid eyes on Matt. He detached from Kas while Matt did just the opposite; he wrapped his arms tightly around her and made a special point of giving her an especially friendly kiss where Thomas could see it.

"What are you doing here?" Kas asked him.

With a big smile, he said, "I got permission to take a long lunch today. I thought you might like to go with me when I try out this little deli I saw in town the other day."

"How'd you convince Dr. West to give you extra time off?"

Matt smirked. "I may have promised to bring him back a sandwich. Anyway, you want to go?" Without removing his eyes from Kasumi's, he said, "Thomas, you're welcome to join us."

Thrilling as that idea was, Thomas immediately said, "No. I'll stay on campus, thanks." Without touching her, he held his fingers toward Kasumi and said, "I'll see you at the next match, Kasumi."

"Bye." She felt bad about Thomas and thought about calling back to him, but then Matt sprung a red rose from his sleeve. He slipped it under her nose to show her it was real, and then he offered to slip it in her jacket collar for her. "What's that for?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I don't need a reason." When he finished putting the rose on her, he looked at her again for a moment, ran his fingers across her cheek, and then he kissed her once more. She enjoyed the way he was always gentle when he touched her with his strong hands.

Being his girlfriend wasn't always frustrating.

Jason was pleased with the tournament so far. Not only did he manage to wrangle Lucy as his tag partner when her lazy boyfriend disappeared from campus, but they pretty much dominated their duels through the first week. All of their duels ended within the first five turns. Jason wished they could duel more often than just once a day; the tournament involved so many people—with only so many OTK judges—that the bracket stretched across several weeks.

Lucy was not as excited. Her primary concern was that Bryan hadn't been to class for a while. At least she knew where he was, thanks to Matt, but the fact that she hadn't heard from him for a while did not bode well for their relationship. The 3T was primarily a way for her to keep her mind occupied with something else.

"How long do you think it will take us to win this one?" Jason asked her.

She put on that smile that became all too familiar lately—a crooked, uncertain smile. "I don't know. We're not guaranteed a win, especially considering Lili runs a chaos deck."

Jason scoffed. "We can take her, no problem. She only got this far on pure luck. You know, the odds are vastly in our favor because Lili and her partner are a free agent team."

"Why do you know the odds?" Lucy asked. "You're not actually gambling on the tournament, are you? Isn't that illegal at your age?"

"Only if no one knows about it," he mumbled back.

Already waiting by the designated spot by the beach, Laura Guertin was the proctor for this duel. She took detailed notes about each of the duels she observed; she marked down what time each competitor arrived even though there was no reason to do so. She gave the other proctors dirty looks when they didn't take as great an interest in useless statistics as she did.

Lucy found it odd that Lili and her partner didn't arrive together. She knew that sometimes, people got busy and had to meet up places, but Lili arrived at her own pace and didn't have a clue where her partner was. She just waited for him to show. In the meantime, she explained that Rory had a class and Synthia had a duel of her own to do at the time. Luckily, Lili was not afraid of showing up to a duel by herself; outwardly, she disapproved of having an audience, although she did enjoy letting people know how good she could be.

Her partner was the last person to arrive. Romulus Malligan was a freshman who spent much of his youth as an apprentice to his father. From a long line of mariners, Romulus was a bit stout but very muscular; he could move a refrigerator by himself if the need ever arose. He had slightly yellowed skin and marine-colored eyes, but his dark hair was beginning to gray; the men in his family tended to gray from a young age, and prolonged exposure to sunlight helped speed the graying process. Lucy didn't know much about Romulus as a person, and the only thing Jason really knew was that Romulus didn't pay a whole lot of attention in class. He most often spent time staring at some of the women in the room, and so Jason just assumed Romulus was a lonely guy who had no clue how to flirt.

Laura had a bear of a time finding a partner for Romulus. He turned down every partner he was given at first. Laura told him that he didn't get a say because it was random assignment, but Romulus's countenance—solid as a rock—sufficiently intimidated her to change the assignment a few times. Laura couldn't figure out why Romulus argued so much. It was a last-minute effort when she put him with Lili, but oddly enough, he didn't seem to mind. He didn't look thrilled about it, but he _never_ looked thrilled; what difference did it make as long as he finally accepted a partner?

"Are you all set?" Laura asked everyone. With a nod from everyone, she added, "Shake hands and turn on your Duel Disks." She grabbed her PDA and went through the menus until she found her notes page. She looked up and noticed nobody had moved when she told them to shake hands. "Yeah, I don't blame you." She checked her notes page where she had a random number generator pick the order of players. "Romulus gets the first turn, followed by Lucy and so on. Now duel."

Romulus started the duel. "I will set one monster and a card," he said simply.

On Lucy's turn: "I'll set two cards and summon Maiden of Macabre (4/1700/0)." Her monster was a courtesan with pale skin, elaborate robes, and a scythe in her hands.

Lili was about as chatty as her partner was. "I'll play Graceful Charity to draw two cards and discard three." Her field showed a holographic angel offering her three cards but requiring two in return. After she discarded, she said, "I'll summon Reflect Bounder (4/1700/1000)." Her monster was one covered in mirrors.

Jason was the most noticeably excited. "Let me show your little ragtag duo how it's done. You guys have monsters and I don't, so I get to summon Blackwing – Sirocco the Dawn (5/2000/900) without a Tribute." His monster was a tall man dressed like a bird, with black feathers on its waist, wings, and tail and blue feathers around its head. "I'm also going to Special Summon Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind (3/1300/400)." Another monster from the Blackwing family, this one was a short birdman covered in blue feathers except for the green feathers around its head. "And now, I'll tune them together to summon a bigger Synchro monster."

The two birdmen became enveloped in a whirlwind of black feathers. When the gust died, what remained was not a birdman, but an enormous wyrm: with six steel legs, wiry wings lined with red-bladed feathers, and a beak lined with razor teeth. "It's my Black-Winged Dragon (8/2800/1600)," Jason boasted. "Awesome, isn't it?"

Romulus wasn't really bothered by it. He just pointed to his field where his Trap was standing upright. A pentacle symbol appeared on the floor with large, white dots at each point. "I activated Macro Cosmos," he explained. "It remains on the field and forces all cards we send to the Graveyard to be removed from play instead." In other words, neither Sirocco nor Gale sat in Jason's Graveyard; both monsters were pulled out of the duel entirely. "Additionally, it let me summon Helios – The Primordial Sun (1/+200/+200)." Romulus's new monster was an almost invisible entity if her body were not covered in wraps; as suggested by her name, though, her head was a small star.

"Big deal," Jason scoffed. He pointed to Lili's field. "I'm going to have my Black-Winged Dragon (2800) attack that Reflect Bounder (1700)."

Jason's monster swung its massive wings and sent sharp blades of wind at Lili's monster. Lili wasn't concerned because although she was losing a monster, Reflect Bounder's effect caused it to inflict damage when the opponent attacked, equal to the monster's attack points. But the wind energy didn't bounce off the mirrors; instead it cut straight through Reflect Bounder and a Black Feather Counter appeared on the Black-Winged Dragon's crest.

"Nice try," Jason commented, "but my Dragon (-2100) lets me negate any Effect Damage by putting a Black Feather Counter on him. Of course, the counter makes him lose 700 points, but it's worth it to save me 2800, wouldn't you say?" He didn't get any kind of response from either opponent. "Well, I'll set a card and end my turn."

Lucy and Jason 8000: Lili and Romulus 8000 – 400 = 7600.

Romulus drew, but he scowled at the sight of a good card whereas the norm at the academy was to grin evilly. "I offer Helios as a Tribute to summon Caius the Shadow Monarch (6/2400/1000)." The field was hit with a column of darkness that slowly parted to reveal a giant wearing black armor and a heavy cape. He held his hand together and began to charge a Dark Hole. "When he is summoned, he destroys one card on the field; I choose Maiden of Macabre (DARK)." Caius released the Dark Hole at Lucy's monster, dragging it into a void and removing it from play. When the void closed, it exploded on Lucy's field. "And it deals 1000 points of damage for removing a dark-attribute monster."

Jason looked displeased. "Why? Why would you pick on Lucy's monster instead of my, more dangerous dragon?"

Romulus wasn't interested in answering the question, though. "I will flip over D.D. Assailant (4/1700/1600) and attack with her." A platinum blonde wearing tight, white clothes and wielding a large cleaver appeared on the field and bolted straight for Lucy. But because this was a team duel, Jason sent his Black-Winged Dragon (2100) to intercept the attack and avoid the direct hit. The Dragon managed to strike the Assailant with its wings, but not before she cut through the Dragon's belly. "When D.D. Assailant is destroyed in battle, she takes the monster that beat her with her out of play." Both monsters were dragged into the void of the Macro Cosmos. "Now Caius (2400) will attack directly." He also set two cards before ending his turn.

Lucy and Jason 8000 – 1000 – 2400 = 4600: Lili and Romulus 7600 – 400 = 7200.

Ultimately, it didn't matter which field Caius attacked because Lucy and Jason were going to lose the same points either way. But it didn't escape Lili's notice that Romulus continually targeted Lucy with his attacks. Jason noticed, too, but only because he hoped to return the behavior tenfold.

Lucy wasn't offended, though. Between herself and Jason, she figured she came across as the weaker target. But she also knew that looks can be deceiving. For example, Matt looked more like a jock than a nerd, but he made a suggestion for Lucy's deck that she kind of liked, and he even gave her the cards as an early birthday present.

"I'll play Summoner Monk (4/800/1600)." A blue-skinned man wearing large, purple robes with gold trim and a red jewel on the forehead appeared on the field and switched immediately to defense mode. "By discarding a Spell, I can summon Rescue Cat (4/300/100)." This was a small, white cat with a whistle around its neck and a hard hat on its head. "_And_, by sending it from the field, I can summon two low-level beast monsters from my deck: two copies of X-Saber Airbellum (3/1600/200)." Both of these monsters were beastly men with sharp teeth, wild manes, and three claws protruding from each hand. "Now I'll tune one of them to my Summoner Monk (4)."

Lucy's belligerent monster began vibrating its claws as it tuned with her Monk. After a momentary white light, Lucy's monsters turned into Arcanite Magician (7/+2400/1800), a dark-skinned magician wearing white robes and bearing a staff with a green jewel on top. Jason was excited to see Lucy's monster match Romulus's in points, but Romulus didn't seem to care.

"When Arcanite Magician is summoned," Lucy explained, "he gets two spell counters and 1000 attack points for each. But by removing one of those spell counters, I can destroy Caius the Shadow Monarch." Her Magician channeled power through his staff and expelled it through his other hand; a small explosion destroyed Caius a moment later. "I'll activate Pitch-Black Power Stone." An orb appeared on the field, pure black except for three spell counters floating inside. "I can move each of these spell counters once per turn, and so I'll put one on Arcanite Magician (+2400).

"First, I'll send X-Saber Airbellum (1600) to attack." The lion-like beast pounced for a direct attack. "When Airbellum attacks directly, one of you randomly discards a card from your hand. I know how dangerous Lili's deck can be, so I'll get her to discard." Laura stepped up and selected Lili's random discard. "Now Arcanite Magician (2400) will attack." The white mage cast a powerful spell from his staff. "Now, if I remove another counter, I can destroy Macro Cosmos." Arcanite Magician channeled energy from his staff again, but the spell hit a wall.

"You cannot beat me," Romulus told her. "I will activate Imperial Custom." A kingly man appeared on the field and read from a scroll, and a protective aura surrounded the pentacle on the ground. "With Imperial Custom in play, you can't destroy Continuous Traps."

Lucy smiled. "That was a good move." It was an attempt to establish a friendly rapport with Romulus, but he wasn't inspired; he continued to scowl when he looked at her. Lucy fought the urge to make a face or look frightened and just continued with her turn. "When my turn ends, Airbellum is destroyed because he was summoned by Rescue Cat's effect." Her beastly monster disappeared, and Lucy ended her turn.

Lucy and Jason 4600: Lili and Romulus 7200 – 1600 – 2400 = 3200.

Sure, Lili had to contend with a pretty powerful magician, but her partner actually gave her the opportunity to set up a play. "I'll remove Magician of Faith and Necroface from play to summon Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the End (8/3000/2500)." Her monster was one of the rarest and most powerful chaos monsters, and one that tended to come off Kaiba Corp.'s Forbidden Cards list only once every six months. He was a tall warrior, clad in shiny, black-and-gold armor.

But before any battle could begin, a see-through version of Necroface—a plastic doll's head with a living mass growing out of it—hovered over the field. Because Necroface was removed from play, all players had to remove from play the top five cards from their decks, regardless of Jason's displeasure.

"Black Luster Soldier will attack your Arcanite Magician (-1400)."

"No, he won't," Lucy replied with a smile. "I'll play Magical Dimension and Tribute my Magician." A sarcophagus appeared on the field and closed around the Arcanite Magician. When it opened, the mage was gone and replaced with a Cybernetic Magician (6/2400/1000) adorning white robes and a small wand. "And when the sarcophagus opens, it destroys your monster, too." Black Luster Soldier was struck and disappeared from the field.

"I'll set a card, then," Lili said simply.

When Jason drew, he had difficulty containing his excitement. "Oh, yeah! I'll summon Blackwing – Vayu the Emblem of Honor (1/800/0)." This monster had white feathers on its body and a red crest, but it covered itself in a black coat. When Vayu hit the field, Lili twitched; anyone may have written it off as a muscle spasm, but Jason read more deeply. "I'll activate my facedown Delta Crow – Delta Reverse! Your facedown Trap is destroyed!" Vayu flapped its wings and created an explosion on Lili's field, destroying her Torrential Tribute, which she hesitated to use because she thought she could destroy more monsters if Jason used his Blackwings' swarm effect.

"Now I can summon Bora the Spear (4/1700/800) because I already have another Blackwing on the field." He let out a little snicker when he picked out his next card. "But now, I'll remove them _both_ from play to summon Blackwing – Aurora of the Northern Lights (10/0/0)!" This was a giant bird, covered in black feather save the white feathers around its head and the pink plume sprouting from its head. Brilliant, flowing lights appeared in the sky behind it.

"I remember this card," Lili commented. She remembered it because she watched Jason duel Rory one time. Rory, with her full name of Aurora, hated this card because the Northern Lights reminded everyone that they could call her Rory Borealis. Such unoriginal and repetitive jokes did not make Lili happy.

"Then you'll remember this," Jason said. "By removing a card from my Extra Deck, Aurora—the bird, not your roommate—gains the points and effect of that monster." Lili faked a laugh at Jason's "funny" word play. "I'll give him the power of Silverwind the Ascendant (2800/2000)! Now feel this!" Aurora (+2800) flew into the air and dove at Lili's side of the field, streaming Northern Lights behind it. But neither Lili nor Romulus was one for acting like the holograms were real, and so neither flinched. Lucy found it rather amusing how alike these two opponents were, considering they were randomly teamed up.

Lucy and Jason 4600: Lili and Romulus 3200 – 2800 = 400.

Romulus was as quiet as ever when he drew. "Different Dimension Reincarnation," he said, activating his facedown card, "lets me discard a card to summon my Shutendoji (4/1500/800) that was removed from play." Shutendoji was a red oni with wild, blond hair and a bottle of sake. But Macro Cosmos removed Romulus's discarded card—Necroface—from play; once again, the ghostly image of the plastic doll's head appeared on the field, and all players removed five cards from the top of their decks. "By his effect, I can take my removed Necroface and place it on top of my deck." Shutendoji reached through a dimensional gap and pulled back one of Romulus's cards. "Now, I will play Chaos Greed." A druid wearing a dark robe held up his hands and emitted a light, letting Romulus draw two cards because he had more than four already removed from play and nothing in his Graveyard. "Finally, I summon Necroface (4/1200/1800)."

For the first time in this duel, Necroface was actually summoned to the field. Jason was disgusted by the appearance of the organism growing inside the doll head, and he made a fake retching noise to try to make Lucy laugh. Romulus should have been the one laughing, though, because Necroface's effect took all the removed-from-play cards and returned them to their owners' decks. And for each card, Necroface (+7900) gained 100 points.

"This card becomes especially powerful during tag duels," Romulus pointed out. After all, twice as many cards were removed from play as would be in a typical, two-person duel. "And one attack will end the duel." The organism hidden inside the doll's head sprouted tentacles; one wrapped around the Cybernetic Magician (2400) and squeezed it to destroy it.

Lucy and Jason 4600 – 5500 = 0: Lili and Romulus 400.

Jason was flabbergasted. He was completely stunned, like he'd been punched in the stomach. "No way! Are you kidding me? We lost to a ragtag duo? They're both in the Red Dorm and neither is even a prefect! How'd they beat us?"

Lucy put her hand on his shoulder to try to calm him. "You can't win every time," she told him. "They just had our number this time. We'll do better next time."

Had it not been for his incredible desire to see what Lucy was hiding underneath her Duel Academy jacket, Jason might have continued to say what was on his mind. Instead, he shut himself up and bit his tongue to prevent making an ass of himself where she could see him. It took everything he had not to squeeze Lili's hand when they shook. Then again, Lili wasn't a fan of the respect play, either; why bother shaking hands after a duel? What difference did it make? But she did it just to keep other people from making any kind of stink.

"You two played a great duel," Lucy told her.

"Thanks," Lili replied. "We just happen to have compatible decks."

Lucy offered her hand to Romulus, but he merely scowled at it and turned away from her. She looked to Lili and asked, "Did I do something to upset him?"

"You should have seen how angry he was at Jeri Fleig," Lili replied. "I think he's a misogynist; he just hates all women."

"And you hate everybody," Jason retorted, intending to sting her with the bluntness of his comment.

Lili just shrugged. "Maybe that's why we work well together." Then she walked away, too, taking a separate path from the one Romulus chose.

* * *

_Tag duels are much harder to write. I think these came out okay, but the lack of ease with which I wrote the rest of the chapter should be indicative of two things: This chapter has a "filler"-like feel to it, and I need to take a break. I've been neglecting other things to write this story-things I really need to spend some time improving. It'll be a few weeks before I post the next chapter, which will feature a duel with Darius Mantzios and Synthia Spencer._

_Credits:_  
_Darius Mantzios...tiramisu19_  
_Jason Maxim...Maxim and Knight_  
_Nathan Zislaw...Mavrik Zero_  
_Hillary Delaney...Nodqfan144_  
_Lili Von...Happy2BMe_  
_Carter Jade...Jaden2010  
Mitsuro Itachu...Titanic X  
Sean Bivins...DarkVestroia2_  
_Naoto Kurotsuki...Kurotsuki Haru_  
_Hayley Wilson...TeamRocketDiva_  
_Maikeru Stone...onyxshade7  
Victor Rocks & __Abel Shinzou...Iron-Arm-V_  
_Alister Kazama & Jessica Parks...ZaneKazama001_  
_Synthia Spencer...Madly Chessur_  
_Leila & Linear Lockhart...Windraider_  
_Romulus Malligan...Maximus1_  
_Everyone else so far...YamiRuss_


	15. A Duel Before Dawn

Chapter 15: A Duel Before Dawn

Loss is a tough blow for everyone, but it is often inevitable in a tournament setting. Some participants become distressed over the thought of anything less than first place, but some are humble enough to feel acclaimed with a Top 16 rank. Darius and Ellie were examples of such people. Well, Darius was, anyway. Their final duel was a late one; when it ended, they decided to take a short walk around the campus and just enjoy the crisp, night air. They were going to keep it pretty brief, though, because it was getting pretty cool outside. As they walked near the Marufuji building, Ellie spent a few minutes discussing the rest of the tournament. They spoke to one another in Greek, but for the sake of the reader's sanity, the conversation is presented here in English.

"We were so close," Ellie started. "Two hundred points! One card and the game would have been ours."

"Dueling is three parts skill, two parts luck, and only one part will. Wanting it is not always enough."

Ellie just smiled at him. "You know what this means, right? We have to root for them to win the whole tournament now. That's the only way to vindicate our loss."

"I'm sure they will do well," Darius agreed. "But we should be proud to have made it this far. The tournament began with more than two hundred participants and we are among the top sixteen duelists."

That the only sound around them was the slight rustling of leaves as a zephyr blew by made Ellie jump when she heard a third voice begin speaking: "Imagine how the people feel who lost in the first round."

The voice belonged to someone standing directly under a nearby tree. It was a young man's voice, but the owner didn't move at all. He wore a Duel Academy jacket, but with so few lights that far out, it was difficult to make out the color. Darius deduced from the fact that no light reflected off the jacket that it must be either red or blue.

But the man already displayed one extremely rare characteristic of Academy students: He understood Greek.

Ellie thought she recognized him, though. "Geez, Matt. You scared the crap out of me. Why are you skulking around the bushes?"

"I don't skulk," he replied. "Ouroboros skulks. I'm just waiting here quietly in the dark."

"Why? Shouldn't you be with Kasumi during your free time?"

He began shaking his head rapidly. "No way. I can't go anywhere. He'll get mad at me if I do. And Ouroboros doesn't like to be seen unless it's during a duel."

She wondered if maybe her English was a little lacking because she could hardly figure out what Matt was saying. Ellie looked to Darius to see what he thought about Matt's odd behavior. The look on his face was also one of puzzlement. Considering his English was worse than hers, Ellie just assumed Darius was having trouble following the conversation, too.

"_We_ can see you," she pointed out dryly. "You might want to find a better hiding place… like in the dorm room with Kasumi."

"I'm supposed to wait right here for Darius. The Gravekeeper's Visionary keeps calling. Ouroboros wants to see him."

Ellie leaned into the Darius and whispered, "What's he talking about?"

Darius wasn't sure what the man was saying, but he did know that The Gravekeeper's Visionary was a card in his deck. "I do not believe this is the same Matt with whom I shared a room last year. I believe this may be the same man who Maikeru and Sean described."

Maikeru described the situation when he and Sean dueled against Matt, or someone who looked exactly like him. The only physical difference they could see was this guy wore a brown jacket instead of a blue trench coat like Matt did. He seemed like a total lunatic. He didn't make much sense when he spoke, as if maybe he was having a completely different conversation without the people around him. He also went from being an excitable, laughing guy in the first half of the duel to being an angry guy who sneered all through the second half. Maikeru suspected at the time that Matt may have split personalities; Darius wasn't sure it really was Matt, but an illusion of some sort.

Now Ellie remembered. "He stole their cards?"

"He didn't steal them," the Matt look-alike said. "They were costs to activate the Ouroboros. He won them fairly."

_Who is "he"?_ Darius wondered. "Do you want to duel?"

"We already are. At this school, everything we do is part of a grand scheme duel." He pushed himself away from the tree and flipped open his Academy Duel Disk. "But when you mention it, a duel does seem like the best way to see the Gravekeeper's Visionary."

As Darius activated his Duel Disk, Ellie whispered to him, "Remember what Maikeru said? This guy has a lot of weird cards with crazy effects."

Darius nodded and stepped up to set the duel grounds, here among the woods at the corner of the campus where no one could see the duel. It didn't surprise him when a guy as out of it as Ouroboros claimed the first turn.

"I'll start with the permanent card Basic Rules," he laughed. Ellie touched Darius's arm with concern. "As long as this card is on the field, we can each only draw and play one card per turn. Nothing extra."

Darius nodded as he drew. "Okay." He considered the field and his hand for a moment. Necrovalley was his key card, but playing it right now had disadvantages, including the fact that he would leave his field wide open. He decided instead to take advantage of his opponent's wide open field. "I'll summon Gravekeeper's Commandant (4/1600/1500)." The summoned monster was a man wearing light clothes, a gold breastplate, a black jacket, and a mask shaped like a jackal. He carried a black staff in his hand. "Gravekeeper's Commandant will attack you directly!" His monster darted across the field and struck the opponent directly.

Darius 8000: Ouroboros 8000 – 1600 = 6400.

"Why is that guy dressed like a jackal?" Ouroboros asked regarding Darius's monster. "Was he burned by acid or something?" Darius didn't understand the question. "Your guy looks ridiculous," Ouroboros clarified, then he started snickering to himself. Suddenly he stopped and said, "I know! Geez."

Ellie, who was starting to feel less threatened by this guy who looked like Matt, told Darius, "I don't think this guy is all there."

"Where else is he?" he replied, not grasping the meaning of the idiom.

Ouroboros grudgingly drew a card and grumbled as he threw it on his Duel Disk. "I'll play Draw 3, Play 2 of Them. As it says, I draw three cards, play two of them, and discard the third." He picked up three cards from his deck and selected the ones he wanted to play. "First it's Draw 5; now we'll each draw five cards during every Draw Phase. Of course, I have to draw four more right now in order to make sure I drew five this turn." He slipped four more cards from his deck. "And then, I'll play The Sun (6/2500/1500)." Not much of an imaginative design, The Sun looked like a bright, yellow ball with petals intended to represent the rays of light.

"You did not Tribute," Darius said—more recognizing than asking.

"I don't need to. I was forced to play that card by the effect of Draw 3, Play 2 of Them. Now I'll melt that Commandant (1600) of yours with my Sun (2500)." The Sun's rays grew longer and brighter until they encompassed the Gravekeeper's Commandant and sent it from the field. Then Ouroboros discarded until he held six cards.

Darius 8000 – 900 = 7100: Ouroboros 6400.

Darius drew, and then the Duel Disk spat four more cards at him than he was used to. _This man's deck is clearly built to play off of itself,_ he deduced. _He plays a card to limit the number of cards per turn to one, and then he plays another card that lets him play two. My deck does not have that capability._

"I will set a monster and end my turn." He also discarded three cards.

Ouroboros snickered. "You have to because you only get to play one card." He drew, and his enthusiasm died down. "Well, it looks like my turn is over. Ouroboros gets to take over from here." As he held the card over his Duel Disk, he added, "Try not to lose, okay? You're too important." With that, he laid his card in the Field Zone of the Duel Disk.

His bright eyes and boyish smile turned rapidly to a slight sneer and a devilish grin. His voice also lowered and his words were more drawn out as he spoke: "Transmutation Circle – Ouroboros," he said. A brown ring of light appeared around the field; it resembled a snake that wrapped around the field until it started eating its own tail.

_That's the card Maikeru mentioned,_ Darius remembered. _Does this mean his personality has changed?_

"You pick up one card, and that card becomes a sacrifice for this duel." He picked up his own top card and showed one called Jackpot! Darius picked up the top card on his deck and revealed Gravekeeper's Visionary. "I knew it," he laughed. "Now you remove it from play. If you lose the duel, you lose the card."

_How was he able to locate my Gravekeeper's Visionary?_ Darius wondered. _Of all the cards in my deck, he just happened to find that one for his card's effect? The probability is very low. Does it have to do with that card he just played?_

"Now The Sun (2500) will attack your monster." The light rays expanded until they consumed Darius's monster, a dark-skinned man wearing black clothes.

"When you flip Gravekeeper's Spy (4/1200/2000)," Darius explained, "I summon another Gravekeeper: Gravekeeper's Curse (3/800/800)." This man wore a heavy robe and gold jewelry around his neck and wrists. He carried a hooked cane, and by focusing his energy into it, the air around him began to turn green. "When Gravekeeper's Curse is summoned, he deals 500 points of damage to my opponent." The energy erupted from Darius's side of the field and struck Ouroboros.

"Not bad." He discarded his extra cards and ended his turn.

Darius 7100: Ouroboros 6400 – 500 = 5900.

Darius drew five more cards and looked at his hand for a moment. He could only play one card, and then he would have to discard four more. If the duel didn't end soon, he would run out of deck; Ouroboros, on the other hand, seemed to have plenty of cards leftover. Perhaps his deck was bigger to begin with.

"I will set one card on the field," Darius decided. "I will also switch Gravekeeper's Curse (800) to defense mode and end my turn."

"Excellent," Ouroboros said as he drew. "I'll activate Play 3, meaning now we get to play three cards per turn. For my second card, I'll play Chocolate (3/1000/1200)." This monster looked like a simple chocolate bar with a wrapper around the bottom half and a single bite taken out of one corner. "And for my last card, I'll play Let's Do That Again! This lets me go through my Graveyard and replay one card in there: I choose Draw 3, Play 2 of Them."

As he drew his cards, Darius thought, _There he goes again, using a card that gives him a significant advantage over the stated rules. How can I compete with that?_

"I'll play The Moon (6/1200/2500)." Just as with Ouroboros's other monsters, The Moon was a simple drawing of a gray circle with the Sea of Tranquility shaded on the face. "I'll also play Rules Reset: This eliminates the excess Draw and Play rules and returns us to the basic Draw 1, Play 1 style. Now I'll attack with Chocolate (1000)."

"I discard Charm of Shabti from my hand," Darius declared. A golden statue that resembled a scaled-down sarcophagus flashed on the field; two eyes appeared and began emitting light over Gravekeeper's Curse. "Until the end of this turn, my Gravekeeper's monsters cannot be hurt by battle." Darius was proud of himself; he found a way to make things a little easier despite the weird rules, even if it was only for one more turn.

Ouroboros chuckled. "He might have been right about you, but I still have two more turns to win this."

"Two?" Darius repeated. "Why do you think two turns?"

"You'll see."

Darius nodded. "I suppose I will." He drew his one card and figured which card to play this turn. "I will set another monster. That will end my turn."

Ouroboros looked surprised. "What? No attack?" Darius just shook his head. "Very well. I activate the Goal: Chocolate Milk." A Continuous Spell with the images of a chocolate bar and a glass of milk showed on the field. "A Goal card changes the conditions for winning a duel. You can still try to reduce my Life Points to zero, but it is not the only way to win.

"Now I'll have The Sun (2500) attack your facedown monster."

As the rays grew, Darius countered, "I will activate Negate Attack. Your attack is negated and your Battle Phase ends."

"A lucky move for a man who is out of options," Ouroboros declared. "On the next turn, I will win. If you wish to keep your Gravekeeper's Visionary, you need to figure out how to win on this turn."

Darius wasn't sure he could. The Sun (2500) was a big block against Ouroboros's Life Points, and Basic Rules made things really difficult by limiting the cards played each turn to one. Even if he had a field full of his most powerful Gravekeepers, hitting Ouroboros hard enough to end the duel in one turn wasn't possible.

But that goal card… If Darius read it correctly, then Ouroboros would win next turn if he summoned a card called Milk. If that was indeed the case, then he must have that card in his hand already. Getting rid of Chocolate was probably not good enough; The Sun and The Moon had to have some connection, and perhaps another Goal card linking them. If Ouroboros drew that, then the duel was still over.

What he couldn't figure out was: _Why me?_ _What is his relationship to Matt?_

"_When Gravekeeper's Chief (5/1900/1200) is summoned, I can Special Summon the Gravekeeper's Visionary (8/+3200/1800) from the Graveyard." He perused the field. "Unless my math is incorrect…"_

"_Aw, man," Matt moaned. He picked up his last remaining defense monster—the Shadowpriestess of Ohm—and spoke to it. "You are not quite as useful without the Dark Magician of Chaos."_

"_That's what you get for giving your deck away to some cute girl," Bryan cracked._

_Kasumi quickly scowled. "What cute girl?"_

_Matt put on that "calm down" face and said, "My sister. I taught her how to duel, and then I gave her my deck as a gift." He clarified that he gave away his competitive deck, not the one-turn deck he used against Dave. "I'm still adjusting that one."_

"_And it obviously needs work," Ellie said. "I know Darius is amazing, but it takes a lot to beat you in a duel."_

"_That definitely puts you in the minority," Bryan agreed. "Only Cary and I have ever done it. But then, only I've ever beaten his competitive deck, and multiple times, by large degrees."_

"_I'm only a genius," Matt admitted with false modesty. "And a future co-King of Games needs a rival capable of beating him."_

_Darius said, "I think Bryan is best suited for that role."_

"_No way," Bryan argued. "I'm going to need my own rival when Matt and I are both King of Games. You and Cary will have to fight over Matt."_

"Are you okay?" Ellie asked Darius.

He kept his expression steady as he nodded. "I will be fine." He placed his hand on his deck and felt powerful warmth in his fingers. He looked at the card, and even though it was one he never saw before, he felt like it was familiar. He read the effect of the card, and, when coupled with the cards he already had, he knew immediately what to do.

"I will Flip Summon my Gravekeeper's Descendant (4/1500/1200)." This monster was a blond man wearing black robes and carrying a gold scepter. "When I send Gravekeeper's Curse to the Graveyard, Gravekeeper's Descendant will destroy Basic Rules." The smaller monster became as blue energy, which the Descendant used to dissolve the Basic Rules card. "Now I may play as many cards this turn as I wish. I will start with Brain Control." A pair of green hands appeared on the field and reached over the brain transposed overtop of Chocolate (1000). "I pay 800 Life Points, and until the End Phase, I control your monster."

Ouroboros looked slightly concerned, but he knew Darius needed two cards before he could automatically win the duel. Then again, if he wanted to muscle out the victory, he would have taken The Sun instead of Chocolate. What was the plan?

"Now I will play Chrysopoeia!" When the card touched his Duel Disk, the field was covered in a golden light. It was so bright everyone had to look away for a moment.

"What in the world? What is that card?"

"It is somewhat complicated, so I will speak slowly," Darius offered. "First, I select one monster on the field, like my Gravekeeper's Descendant. Second, I name one card and we search both your deck and hand and my deck and hand; if either of us has that card, we discard it to the Graveyard. I choose the card Milk."

Ouroboros growled as he dropped a card from his hand into the Graveyard.

"Now, my selected monster becomes the discarded card until the end of the turn." His Gravekeeper's Descendant transformed into a cylindrical glass filled about three-quarters with milk. "If I am not mistaken, your card Chocolate Milk indicates that whichever player has both Chocolate and Milk on his side of the field is the winner of this duel."

The brown ring set by the Transmutation Circle – Ouroboros card began to shine and spin rapidly around the field until it abruptly burst, and then disappeared with the rest of the holograms. But somewhere in the spinning lights, Ouroboros disappeared, too.

"He just ran off?" Ellie wondered.

"No." Darius saw what happened when the Ouroboros ring burst. The man who looked like Matt and called himself Ouroboros appeared to dissolve into thin air. Somehow, he disappeared at the same time as the card bearing his name. Darius remembered what happened to Maikeru and Sean after their duel, and so he checked for his Gravekeeper's Visionary. He still had it; maybe winning the duel meant he didn't have to lose the card.

"I wonder who he was."

###

In the morning, Darius told the incident to Professor Baker. At the time Darius approached, Baker was having lunch with Captain Frank Rader of the campus police department. Rader was a big man with sparse hair and a thick moustache. Although he agreed with Baker about cutting students some slack sometimes, this incident may have gone too far.

"Luther tried it again?" Rader asked. "That makes at least two theft incidents involving him."

"I'll go talk to him again," Baker said.

"Talking may not be enough this time. With two reports, we're gonna have to bring 'im in."

Darius interrupted, "Pardon me, but I do not believe the man I saw was Matt. I believe it was someone who looks like him." Needless to say, Rader and Baker were a little confused. "Matt was my roommate for a while. I believe I know him well enough to recognize that man was not him."

"Are you sure?" Rader asked. "It was late, and maybe you were still a little dazed after losing the tournament duel."

"A loss does not affect my mental state," Darius assured him. "It was not Matt. I am not certain who it was, but I saw him disappear into thin air when I defeated him."

Rader just groaned. "Oh. Another magic story. We get a lot of those at this school."

"Sometimes they're true," Baker noted. "We may have to give this case a little extra effort. If this guy looks just like Matt, talking to him will still be our starting point."

"You know something?"

Baker shook his head. "Matt grew up in foster care. There's no record of his parents anywhere. He probably won't know if he has a brother, but he might still be able to help. That's why we'll start with him."

* * *

_I know I've been kinda slow with updates. I'll try to correct that._

_This chapter took the story forward another step. The next one will decide what happens to Bryan for the foreseeable future. After that, I'll try to finish the semester in one chapter, but it might take two if the duels come out too long. (I planned another chapter, but I've decided to cut it because it would just be filler material and doesn't change the course of events at all._)

_Credits:_  
_Darius Mantzios...tiramisu19_  
_Jason Maxim...Maxim and Knight_  
_Nathan Zislaw...Mavrik Zero_  
_Hillary Delaney...Nodqfan144_  
_Lili Von...Happy2BMe_  
_Carter Jade...Jaden2010  
Mitsuro Itachu...Titanic X  
Sean Bivins...DarkVestroia2_  
_Naoto Kurotsuki...Kurotsuki Haru_  
_Hayley Wilson...TeamRocketDiva_  
_Maikeru Stone...onyxshade7  
Victor Rocks & __Abel Shinzou...Iron-Arm-V_  
_Alister Kazama & Jessica Parks...ZaneKazama001_  
_Synthia Spencer...Madly Chessur_  
_Leila & Linear Lockhart...Windraider_  
_Romulus Malligan...Maximus1_  
_Everyone else so far...YamiRuss_


	16. Relight My Fire

Chapter 16: Relight My Fire

"Try that one more time," Matt requested. "You say you dueled against someone who looks just like me?" Darius nodded and Ellie assured him of the story's accuracy. Matt seemed to take it well. "That might explain why Pr. Baker thinks I stole cards from Maikeru and Sean."

"That's why we accused you," Maikeru admitted. "I mean, this guy was really good. We could barely keep up, just like almost everyone who duels against you." Matt would normally jump at the chance to brag, but he was more concerned, right now, about his look-alike.

"He played a flux deck," Sean suggested, which drew a few befuddled looks. "It was like he couldn't make up his mind what rules he wanted to play, so he just kept changing them."

"That's actually a good description," Maikeru agreed. "He reminded me of a kid with an imaginary friend. I'm a little surprised Darius managed to beat him."

Ellie agreed. "Yeah. He almost didn't, but then he drew some magic, gold card. It let him change the field in order to take advantage of the other guy's cards."

"Any chance I can take a look?" Matt asked Darius.

Darius shook his head. "I am afraid that card is gone. It may have disappeared when the man called Ouroboros disappeared." Matt said that was a shame.

Ellie asked, "Are you sure you've never seen anyone who looks like you on campus? Has anyone even pointed someone out to you?"

"Just him." Matt pointed across the dorm room toward the door. On the back of the door of every dorm room was a mounted mirror. Matt's reflection pointed right back at everyone else. Matt sighed and wondered, _Do I really have a brother?_

The shop was a loud place during the day. Between the power lift, the spot welder, the dropping of tools, and discussions about who is more qualified for a particular repair, it was difficult to focus sometimes. Headsets were enough for some guys to drown out the noise, but Bryan just preferred to spend some time alone in the shop, even if it meant getting up at dawn. When the only sounds in the shop were his, it was easier for him to focus.

Attaching a Duel Disk to a motorcycle was easy enough, but Bryan was having difficulty with expanding the holographic technology. It didn't occur to him that a degree in engineering would make things easier; he read several books over the past weeks and was convinced he knew what he needed to know in order to make his machine successful. If he could just stop wrenching his thumb…

"Ow!" he cried and dropped the wrench on the floor.

Someone else was in the garage. A few soft footsteps taken by feet encased in leather boots preceded a woman's voice:

"I heard you were trying to merge a Duel Disk with a motorcycle. I didn't realize you were going to merge yourself with it, too."

Bryan paused for a moment as he computed the voice. He lifted his head over the seat of the motorcycle and looked into the garage to see the author of that wit. "How'd you get in here?" he asked. "The door was locked."

"It was closed—not locked," she argued. "I hope it's the same with you."

He made a face. "Geez, Erica. You take a few psych classes and now you're a therapist?"

Indeed, it was Erica Dawkins, master's candidate and adjunct faculty member at Duel Academy. She wore the usual attire of Academy faculty members; basically it was the same as a woman's uniform for the Blue Mansion, but her jacket had tails to symbolize her status. And given the time of year, she wore long pants in lieu of a skirt.

"Of course not," she chuckled. "Psychology has nothing to do with it. I learned that metaphor in a literature class."

"Well, good then. You can write an epic poem about me after I finish this Duel Runner. Off you go." If Erica were using psychology to read into his behavior, she might point out that he declined to hide from her when he urged her to leave, indicating he wanted to maintain eye contact.

"Duel Runner?"

He scoffed. "Well, I couldn't call it Duel Disk Attached to a Motorcycle; that would sound ridiculous and it's way too long to come up with a catchy jingle for it. I could go with Duel Bike or Holo-Wheel, but the former sounds too simple and the latter is too vague."

"And where did you get this flash of brilliance in the first place?"

Bryan could catch the derision in that question even if he didn't regularly practice his own. "Why are you here, Erica? Are you going to convince me that dueling while riding a motorcycle is absolute lunacy?"

"You don't need me to convince you," she assured him. "You already now how crazy you sound. I just want to know if you plan to come back to school or if I should tell the other professors to go ahead and fail you." He'd missed so many classes and a couple of tests, so failure was likely despite his earlier grades. And ever since Duel Academy became a premiere institute, failing more than two courses was grounds for immediate expulsion; Bryan was currently failing five courses.

"Why should I care? What's the real difference? If I'm a master duelist, why do I have to go to school to prove it?"

_That didn't take long,_ Erica thought to herself. "Are you a master duelist? It seems to me that you lost a duel and suddenly stopped caring about anything else."

"I'm not the first champion to lose a duel once in a while," he countered defensively.

"That's true. You're not even the first potential champion to run away from Duel Academy after losing a duel."

"I wasn't running away!"

She scoffed. "Sure. You just decided it was a better career move to leave without telling your brother or your girlfriend to pursue what has to be the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard in the history of dueling."

Bryan scoffed, too, but he kept quiet for a moment before muttering, "She's that freshman's girlfriend now."

"You're such an idiot," Erica grumbled. "Do you really think Lucy wanted you to leave just because you lost one duel?"

"It's not a big island. If she wanted to find me, it wouldn't take a lot of effort."

"Oh, shut up! She thinks you won't come back just because she wants you to. She figures you're just having a massive mood swing and you'll come out of it when you're ready. It scares her that you haven't done so yet. Even Matt's starting to get worried."

"Matt has plenty to worry about with being king of the Academy."

_Now I get it._ Erica's voice softened as she asked, "Are you worried that Matt is getting too far ahead of you?" Bryan scoffed in reply, but he didn't have an immediate response. Erica continued, "Say all the stuff Matt's doing _is_ making him become a stronger duelist even more quickly than you are. Do you really think dropping out and never dueling is really going to make you better? When was the last time you even touched your deck?"

Bryan just huffed. "Leave me alone. I'm fine."

"I really doubt that," Erica replied harshly. "People who are 'fine' don't just start giving away personal belongings and seeking personal attention by devising elaborate, hair-brained schemes. It doesn't take psychiatric training to know you are going through a spell of self-destructive behavior."

"I am not."

"Quitting school, giving away hundreds of dollars in dueling cards, and breaking up with someone who may have been the best person ever to invade your life are textbook self-destructive behaviors."

Bryan smirked. "I would have figured you'd say 'second best person.'"

"My self-esteem is sufficient enough for me to say I am not the best person for you," Erica told him clearly. "It was fun for a while, but you and Lucy have much better chemistry. You managed to pull her out of her shell, and she got you to calm down and focus your life more. Now you've pushed her aside because she does not idealize you, and you're trying to find people who will. I'm pretty sure that's why you started this crazy Duel Bike idea."

"You think I'm narcissistic?" Erica just raised an eyebrow. Bryan sighed and said, "Yeah, okay."

Erica stepped up and put her hand on his chin. "Matt will not leave you behind. He is as attached to this co-King of Games idea as you are. But you can't reduce the gap that currently separates you by sitting in a garage, breaking an old Duel Disk." She was right: Bryan was using an old Duel Academy model Duel Disk for his Duel Runner; he kept the one he got from Leona Moxley in his bag with his deck. "Grab your Duel Disk and come with me."

He groaned. "I don't feel like dueling."

"You don't right now, but you've spent too long doing nothing. A duel is the only way for you to remember how excited you used to get at the prospect of a challenge. I figure you need to know what you've been missing by betting on the 3T and not participating."

"You want me to do a Tag Team Duel?"

She grinned. "I need a partner, don't I?" He reluctantly agreed to grab his Duel Disk. As he grabbed one of his deck boxes, Erica suggested, "Don't bring that one. Use the other one."

"Why?"

She shrugged. "Maybe changing things up every once in a while will be good for you."

"Whatever."

Bryan didn't like being told what to do and so a large part of his brain resisted the idea of a duel and wanted to bolt, but there were two other parts of his brain keeping him beside Erica: One was still a little attracted to her and a little scared of what she would do if he eluded her; the other part was excited by the prospect of donning the Duel Disk once more and started mentally reassembling all the strategies in his deck.

"Where are we going?" he asked as Erica led him down Main Street past all the major shops. They weren't headed back to campus, either. It was more like they were headed for the square downtown. But why? Who would they duel out there?

Erica took him to a residence not far from the Wal-Mart. It was a nice, two-story house painted blue with a white roof. There was a garage, although it was disconnected from the house, and a big deck circled the corner of the house around back. It looked like a lot of other houses in the area. Bryan quickly learned who lived there.

"Wow," Bryan said when he saw Dr. Sasha Kerr. She was now eight months pregnant and on maternity leave, only doing some of the work she could do from home. Bryan didn't want to point out how large she had gotten, though, and so he asked the typical "guy" question: "Have you lost weight?"

Sasha made a face and said, "I've put on an additional fifteen pounds since you last saw me."

"You didn't let me finish," Bryan told her quickly. "I was going to ask: Have you lost weight in your ass and put it all in your belly?"

"Smooth," Erica replied, but Sasha just laughed.

Baker was also there, apparently bribed by some of Sasha's homemade pancakes. He finished eating while Sasha explained that she thought a duel would be a good idea to get Bryan back on track. Bryan didn't think it would be that simple, and so Baker set out an official challenge; he said that Bryan didn't have it in him anymore, and he'd never be able to beat a couple of professors even with Erica's help.

"Come on," Bryan groaned. "You think challenging my manliness is going to sucker me into a duel?"

Erica pointed out, "An inability to duel is akin to impotence."

Bryan just scoffed and quickly asked, "That's not true?" He meant it as a statement, but he wasn't sure. It almost made sense that losing interest in a passion could affect other aspects of focus. And Erica didn't help when her only response was to shrug coyly. Bryan sighed. "Fine. You must be eager to have me duel if you'd tell me such an outright lie. Where are we doing this?"

"Right here," Sasha said.

Bryan looked around the living room. There was a reasonable amount of floor space, but the room wasn't huge, there was a couch on one wall, a loveseat on another, a coffee table, and a big TV in the corner. "Are you sure? There's not a lot of room here."

Sasha laughed. "First of all, the monsters are holograms; they don't actually make a mess when they attack each other." Kind of a fair point. "Second of all," she said as she pointed toward the loveseat, "this is my pregnancy chair. This way I can sit down when I need to without having to stop the duel."

"All good points," Bryan admitted. He watched Baker and Erica don their Academy Duel Disks. Sasha activated her Duel Disk without actually putting it on; she put it on the coffee table to avoid the extra weight and just held her cards. Bryan put on the Duel Disk he obtained from participation in the Denkard Limitations Tournament and thought about how much heavier it felt than he remembered.

"I think Roger should take the first turn," Erica suggested.

Baker nodded. "Alright, then." He drew his first card and looked over his hand. "I'll summon Goblin Attack Force (4/2300/0) and set a card facedown." His single monster card was a collection of eight, green-skinned goblins armed with clubs.

Erica's turn was next. "I'll set a card and summon Crystal Beast Amber Mammoth (4/1700/1600)." Her monster was a woolly mammoth with gray fur, three tusks from each side of its mouth, and an amber gem embedded in its forehead.

"My turn," Sasha said. "I'll set a monster and two cards."

Bryan felt a little weird being thrust into a tag duel as his first challenging duel in weeks—he'd dueled other folks in the garage, but they weren't very good—but it still felt familiar. He remembered Erica's Crystal Beasts pretty well, but he never dueled against the other professors before. He knew that Baker played a beatdown deck, but Dr. Kerr was more conservative and strategic with her deck. Bryan was just going to have to do what comes naturally.

"I'll place a card facedown and summon Neo-Spacian Aqua Dolphin (3/600/800)." This blue Dolphin was a humanoid biped. He had fins protruding from his elbows and head and three gems on his chest. "Now, by discarding a card from my hand, I can take a look at…" He paused to consider the easier target. "Dr. Kerr's hand and select a monster card." She showed Bryan her hand, and the only monster she currently had was Fire Trooper. "Because there is a monster on my side of the field with more attack points, your monster is destroyed and you lose 500 LP."

Sasha cocked an eyebrow. "Aqua Dolphin (600) is not stronger than Fire Trooper (1000)."

Bryan grinned. "The card doesn't say 'monster I control'; it says 'monster on my side of the field.'" He pointed to Amber Mammoth (1700). "Erica and I share a field right now, meaning we _do_ have a bigger monster."

Sasha smiled as she discarded her monster. "And here I was worried you were going to struggle to remember the rules."

"It's like riding a bicycle," he told her. "That ends my turn."

Bryan and Erica 8000: Sasha and Baker 8000 – 500 = 7500.

Baker seemed pretty confident as he drew. But he didn't have his trump card just yet. "I'll attack your Aqua Dolphin (600) with Goblin Attack Force (2300)." The Goblins all jumped on top of the blue dolphin. As soon as the attack ended, the Goblins (0) all switched to defense mode. "I'll put a monster facedown and set a card."

Bryan and Erica 8000 – 1700 = 6300: Sasha and Baker 7500.

"I'll start my turn with summoning Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus (4/1800/1200)." The monster was a winged unicorn with sapphire studs in its wings and a sapphire horn on its head. "And doing so activates his effect of pulling Crystal Beast Cobalt Eagle from my deck and putting it in my Spell zone." A blue, hexagonal gem appeared on her field in the same spot where the sapphire once stood. "Now I'll have Sapphire Pegasus (1800) attack Sasha's monster."

Sasha laughed when her UFO Turtle (4/1400/1200) flipped up and disappeared. "I'll activate Backfire." The destroyed UFO Turtle left behind a stream of fire that swarmed Erica's field. "Every time you destroy a fire monster, you take 500 points of damage. And destroying UFO Turtle allows me to summon Solar Flare Dragon (4/1500/1000)." This was a red, serpentine dragon with a flame spraying from its neck like a mane.

"I'll also attack with Amber Mammoth (1700)." The Mammoth gored the Flare Dragon with its tusks.

"I'll chain Call of the Haunted," Sasha said. An image of a Graveyard appeared on her field, and a rising mist brought her Solar Flare Dragon back to the field.

Erica chuckled. "You do love those dragons. My turn's done."

Bryan and Erica 6300 – 500 = 5800: Sasha and Baker 7500 - 200 = 7300.

"This will be fun," Sasha said as she drew. "I'll summon a second Solar Flare Dragon (1500) to the field." With two identical dragons, the fire grew more intense. "As long as I have another pyro monster, each dragon cannot be attacked. That means each dragon protects the other."

Bryan commented, "We actually knew that."

"I know," she replied with a big grin. "I'm just proud of that move. I'm done." Then each of her dragons pointed themselves toward Bryan and Erica and released a stream of fire from their throats. "Oh, yeah," she laughed. "During my End Phase, each dragon deals 500 points of damage to you."

"Great," Bryan moaned. He had to admit that it was amusing watching Sasha get excited so easily by relatively simple plays. He guessed the pregnancy was having a bit of an effect on her after all.

Bryan and Erica 5800 – 500 – 500 = 4800: Sasha and Baker 7300.

"I guess it's my turn again," Bryan remembered. "I'll activate Convert Contact; by sending Air Hummingbird in my hand and Flare Scarab in my deck to the Graveyard, I draw two cards." He checked his new cards. "I'll play Lightning Vortex; by discarding a card from my hand, I destroy all the monsters on Dr. Kerr's field." A bolt of lightning struck each of Sasha's dragons and destroyed them. Then a spray of fire hit Bryan's field.

"Backfire still takes effect," Sasha told him, "even if you destroy my fire monsters by a Spell Card effect."

"Yeah, yeah. Well, I discarded Cross Porter, and when he goes to the Graveyard, I can take a Neo-Spacian from my deck and put it in my hand. And I'll summon Neo-Spacian Grand Mole (3/900/300)." His monster was a plump mole with half of a drill bit as armor over its shoulders. "I'll attack Goblin Attack Force (0)."

The drill bits shifted and covered the mole's head as it drove toward the Goblins. Because they were in defense mode, they were easy targets for any monster to destroy. Then Bryan ended his turn.

Bryan and Erica 4800 – 500 = 4300: Sasha and Baker 7300.

Baker smiled as he drew. "I'll summon Beast King Barbaros (8/-1900/1200)." This monster had the torso of a man bearing a lance and shield and the lower body of a panther. "His effect lets me summon him without Tributes as long as I decrease his attack points. And he's going to attack your Grand Mole (900)."

"That's fine," Bryan decided. "By my monster's effect, both monsters will get put back in our hands."

"That's why I'm activating Skill Drain. By paying 1000 Life Points, the effects of all monsters on the field are negated as long as this card stays on the field." Barbaros (+3000) almost doubled in size on the field. "Still plan to stop me?"

Bryan huffed. "Yes, but in a different way. I'll play Waboku." Three robed women appeared in front of Grand Mole and cast a spell; when Barbaros struck, Grand Mole simply bounced back up unharmed. "This card protects my monster and me from Battle Damage for this turn."

"Well played," Baker admitted.

Bryan and Erica 4300: Sasha and Baker 7300 – 1000 = 6300.

"Here we go," Erica said. "I'll play Graceful Charity so I can draw three cards and discard two." A robed woman similar to those who protected Bryan appeared on the field and offered cards to Erica in one hand, but demanded a return in the other hand. "Now I'll summon Crystal Beast Amethyst Cat (3/1200/400)." Her cat had purple fur and a gold crest with an amethyst gem on her chest. "By cutting her points in half, she can attack directly this turn." The Cat shrunk, dropped to the floor, and stalked across the field right past Barbaros and attacked Sasha directly. "One set card and I'm done."

Bryan and Erica 4300: Sasha and Baker 6300 – 600 = 5700.

Sasha drew. "I'll summon Abaki (4/1700/1000) to the field and set one card." Abaki was a top-heavy goblin with bulging muscles, a loincloth, and a spiked club. Bryan made a joke about how he looks very similar without a shirt on, except Bryan has a neck. "I'll let it attack your facedown monster."

Erica decided, "With his effect, Amber Mammoth (1700) can draw your attack to him instead." The pink goblin dragged his club toward the mammoth and managed to swing it over his head to slam it on top of the mammoth.

Bryan commented, "This would be a lot easier without that Skill Drain on the field."

"That's not a problem," Erica told him. She activated her facedown Trap. "Crystal Raigeki lets me send the Cobalt Eagle in my Spell zone to the Graveyard, and in exchange, I destroy a card on the field." The cobalt faded away, and then a bolt of lightning struck and destroyed Baker's Trap. "Is that better?"

"Much."

Erica added, "Without Skill Drain on the field, Amber Mammoth regains the ability to turn into a gem and stay in my Spell zone." An oval-shaped, yellow stone appeared on her field.

"Sorry, guys," Sasha said, "but destroying Abaki in battle means we all lose 500 Life Points." She kept grinning. "And don't forget about Backfire." A spray of fire crossed Erica's field. "I'm done now."

Bryan and Erica 4300 – 500 – 500 = 3300: Sasha and Baker 5700 – 500 = 5200.

Bryan drew. "I'll summon Elemental Hero Prisma (4/1700/1000)." A humanoid crystal appeared on the field; he was shaped like a man wearing armor and wings, but his entire body was made of reflective crystal. "By sending Elemental Hero Neos from my deck to the Graveyard, Prisma becomes Neos until the end of the turn." The crystal body turned white and reflected the image of the bladed Hero.

"This is a good time," Sasha said. "I'll activate Ceasefire. All monsters on the field flip face-up, and you guys lose 500 points for each effect monster." With Barbaros on Baker's field, Sapphire Pegasus and Amethyst Cat on Erica's field, and Prisma and Grand Mole on Bryan's field, that meant 2500 points of damage.

"Ouch," Erica commented.

"No kidding," Bryan agreed. "I can send Prisma and Grand Mole back to my deck in order to fuse them into Elemental Hero Grand Neos (7/2500/2000)." Grand Mole turned into a stream of energy and surrounded the image of Neos; as Neos absorbed the energy, his body became encased in a suit of brown armor and his right arm assumed the shape of a large drill head.

"That's a big monster," Baker admitted. "Mine's still bigger." He was right; the destruction of Skill Drain didn't change Barbaros's (3000) attack value.

"I don't care," Bryan replied. "When Grand Neos is summoned, one monster on your side of the field returns to your hand." The drill on Neos's hand began to spin rapidly; he lunged forward and thrust it into Beast King Barbaros, which sent the beast spinning off the field. "Now your field is wide open." Grand Neos leapt across the field and slashed with his drill hand.

"Don't forget about Neos's effect," Baker warned him. "Without my Skill Drain on the field, your monster will go back to the Extra Deck at the end of the turn."

Bryan scoffed. "I know. That's why I have Instant Neo Space; this Equip Spell prevents Grand Neos from going back to the deck. That's all."

Bryan and Erica 3300 – 2500 = 800: Sasha and Baker 5200 – 2500 = 2700.

Baker had a habit of showing very little emotion when he played. All he did was crack a grin when he decided, "I'll remove Beast King Barbaros and Machine Lord Ur from play to summon Beast Machine King Barbaros Ur (8/3800/1200)." His Beast King reappeared on the field, this time with purple skin and a thicker mane, and he was armed with pieces from a red machine monster.

"I shouldn't be scared of that monster," Bryan said, "because its effect says all Battle Damage becomes zero. Yet, I'm scared anyway."

"You should be. I'll add Forbidden Chalice." A silver chalice appeared on the field, and Barbaros Ur (+4200) drank from it. "This card negates the effects of my monster and gives him another 400 points until the End Phase."

"Ah. See? There it is."

Baker nodded. "Yes. There's the reason to fear my monster. He'll attack Grand Neos (2500) and end the duel." His monster lunged and prepared to slam his armored arms.

"I have another Trap," Erica announced. "Rainbow Path lets me send the Amber on my field to the Graveyard in order to negate your attack." Barbaros Ur stopped moving before he completed the attack. "As a bonus, I get to take Rainbow Dragon from my deck and put it in my hand."

"That's fine," Baker said. "It's your turn."

Erica smiled. "Good, because I have, between my field and my Graveyard, seven Crystal Beasts. That means I can summon Rainbow Dragon (10/4000/0)." The ultimate crystal beast was a white, serpentine dragon whose scales were studded with gems the color of the seven Crystal Beasts. And it brought with it the ability to grow even stronger.

"Now is when I will activate Royal Oppression," Baker announced. "I pay 800 Life Points to negate your Special Summoning. Your Dragon is destroyed before it is summoned."

Erica huffed. "Geez. I guess I'll switch Pegasus (1200) and Cat (400) to defense mode and end my turn."

Bryan and Erica 800: Sasha and Baker 2700 – 800 = 1900.

"Aw, man," Sasha laughed. "I can't end the duel yet. I can bring it close, though. I'll summon Volcanic Slicer (4/1800/1200)." This monster resembled a bipedal dinosaur encased entirely in a bronze shell. "If I skip my Battle Phase, Volcanic Slicer will automatically inflict 500 points of damage to you." The Slicer opened its jaws and spat a molten ball of fire at Erica. "I'm done."

Bryan and Erica 800 – 500 = 300: Sasha and Baker 1900.

Bryan had to start with "Pot of Greed lets me draw two more cards." A very common sight on duel fields was the image of a green jar with a goofy grin on the face; two cards spilled out of the jar before it disappeared. Bryan just laughed at his hand.

"I'll play Contact Out. That lets me send Grand Neos back to my Extra Deck in order to summon Grand Mole (900) and Neos (2500) from my deck."

"I'm definitely going to use Royal Oppression again," Baker declared. "For 800 Life Points, I don't have to worry about your using Grand Mole's effect because your Contact Out will be negated."

"I was afraid of that," Bryan muttered humorously. "I'll start by having Grand Neos (2500) attack Barbaros Ur (-3800)." Grand Neos lunged and slashed at Barbaros Ur, who retaliated by roaring and counterattacking strong enough to destroy Grand Neos. "Luckily, your monster's effect reduces all Battle Damage to zero, and I can now play Reverse of Neos to summon Elemental Hero Neos (7/+3500/2000) from my deck with 1000 extra points." Now instead of a distorted mirror image, Bryan showed the real thing: a tall, muscular hero dressed in white with large blades protruding from his elbows and head.

"I should negate that, too," Baker decided. "Another 800 Life Points activates Royal Oppression again and prevents the activation of Reverse of Neos."

Bryan grinned. "All I had to do was outlast you. Remember how I had Instant Neo Space equipped to Grand Neos? Well, when Grand Neos was removed from the field, Instant Neo Space started a chain to summon Elemental Hero Neos (2500) from my deck. I only played Reverse of Neos to make you spend your LP."

Baker knew Bryan was right; with only 500 Life Points left, he couldn't activate Royal Oppression again. At least Neos wasn't strong enough to beat Barbaros Ur (3800).

"I'll have Neos (2500) attack Volcanic Slicer (1800)." Bryan's Hero leapt across the field and landed a powerful punch to the bronze dinosaur. "And I believe my turn is done."

Bryan and Erica 300: Sasha and Baker 1900 – 800 – 800 – 700 = 0.

"I knew you still had it in you," Sasha told him as the holograms faded.

Bryan sighed, fighting back the urge to smile. "You went easy on me because you're pregnant." She assured him that was not true. "So what do I get for participating in this little exercise?"

"For participating? Nothing," Baker said. "For winning, we're offering you the opportunity to come back to Duel Academy and make up the work you missed." When Bryan started questioning the decision, Baker explained that all the professors would give him "incomplete" marks for the semester, and then he could stay at the Academy during the winter break and make up the work.

"Everyone?" Bryan repeated. "How are you going to convince a hard-ass like Dr. Lankford to agree to that?"

Sasha just smiled and ran her fingers across her belly. "What do you think Kevin's first reaction will be when he has a hysterical, hormonal, pregnant woman pitching a fit in his office?"

Bryan huffed. "He'll probably give you whatever you want just to shut you up." Erica smacked him in the chest for being so rude and tactless.

But Sasha wasn't offended. "That's exactly what I'm counting on."

Slowly, Bryan was coming to the conclusion that he should accept the offer and go back to Duel Academy. The one thing about this situation, though, that he still didn't understand was:

"Why would you make this deal for me? It can't be just because I'm your favorite student or you think I'm wasting my talents here."

Baker shook his head. "No. Let's just say you've got a guardian angel with connections high enough to convince even Dr. West of this strategy." He paused for a moment before adding, "I do have one question for you, though: What do you know about Matt having a brother?"

* * *

_This duel was easier to write because I actually have a Crystal Beast and a Neo-Spacian deck. It still took a lot longer than I thought it would, though. I can't wait to be done with these tag duels. I have two more to do, and a least one of them may end up being a half duel; kind of a gyp, I know, but it's easier to do, it still covers the parts needed for the story, and I can cover more duels without everything feeling like filler material._

_Credits:_  
_Darius Mantzios...tiramisu19_  
_Jason Maxim...Maxim and Knight_  
_Nathan Zislaw...Mavrik Zero_  
_Hillary Delaney...Nodqfan144_  
_Lili Von...Happy2BMe_  
_Carter Jade...Jaden2010  
Mitsuro Itachu...Titanic X  
Sean Bivins...DarkVestroia2_  
_Naoto Kurotsuki...Kurotsuki Haru_  
_Hayley Wilson...TeamRocketDiva_  
_Maikeru Stone...onyxshade7  
Victor Rocks & __Abel Shinzou...Iron-Arm-V_  
_Alister Kazama & Jessica Parks...ZaneKazama001_  
_Synthia Spencer...Madly Chessur_  
_Leila & Linear Lockhart...Windraider_  
_Romulus Malligan...Maximus1_  
_Everyone else so far...YamiRuss_


	17. Wrapping Up the 3T

Chapter 17: Wrapping Up the 3T

"I can't believe I lost to him again," Lili muttered. As she complained to her roommate that she and Romulus lost to Nathan and Hillary, Rory tried to be reassuring by pointing out that Lili and Romulus made it farther than any other free agent pair.

"It's easy for you to shrug it off," Lili countered. "You were teamed up with a townie and lost to Alister and Jessica. Everyone expected you to lose that one."

Rory laughed. "Yeah, that's true." Then she craned her head to get a better look at Synthia. "I'm just glad we got to beat you."

Synthia looked defensive. "What did I do?"

"Nothing. I just didn't want you or Clint to make it farther than I did." Plus she was a little smug when she got Clint to team up with her, but Rory wasn't willing to admit out loud that it bothered her.

For now, a fairly large crowd of people who could deal with the falling temperature gathered around the quad on campus to witness what was touted as the best duel of the tournament: Alister Kazama and Jessica Parks versus Nathan Zislaw and Hillary Delaney—junior tag team champs versus freshman prefects. Alister and Jessica knocked out the powerhouse duo of Mitsuro and Kenny, and after Nathan and Hillary took out Lili and Romulus, the odds on this duel almost evened out. Alister and Jessica were still favored, but only by a small margin.

The duel was reaching its climax as the teams entered the home stretch with Alister and Jessica at 2300 Life Points and Nathan and Hillary at 2400.

Nathan had a tendency to overthink his moves during this duel. That's not necessarily a bad thing; some people think too long and hard about a play and end up missing something, but Nathan, so far, was playing the team duel very close to Alister's level. It just meant he got on the judge's nerves because he always took his full allotted time before playing a card.

Alister had Guardian Grarl (5/+3000/1000) equipped with Gravity Axe – Grarl and Spirit Burner; basically it looked like a muscular, bipedal dinosaur carrying an axe. Jessica's field had Cyber Phoenix (4/1200/1600), a metallic, four-winged bird machine. In addition, she had two facedown cards with DNA Surgery active to turn all face-up monsters into machines and Bad Reaction to Simochi, a card she placed in her deck specifically for the duel against Nathan's psychic monsters; as long as it was out, any effect to increase his Life Points would cause him and Hillary to lose that number instead. Nathan had nothing on the field right now, but his partner had Neo-Parshath, the Sky Paladin (7/2300/2000)—who looked like a Final Fantasy summon creature with its wings, rings, and lack of feet—and two facedown cards.

As soon as his thinking time was up, Nathan was ready to make his move. "I'll activate Emergency Teleport to bring Krebons (2/1200/400)." Krebons was a small, jester-like creature whose ball socket joints were not there (e.g., his arms were disconnected from his torso, etc.) It was a strange creature to behold, but he wasn't going to stick around. Nathan looked to his partner and asked her, "May I borrow your monster?"

Hillary nodded. "Of course you can."

"Thanks. Krebons (2) will tune with Neo-Parshath (7) so I can summon Hyper Psychic Blaster (9/3000/2500)." When Krebons touched Neo-Parshath, they both turned into Tetris pieces that rearranged into a much bigger form. The pieces turned opaque and looked like a white spaceman out of _Tron_ with a white gun in one hand and a black gun in the other. "I'll also summon Power Injector (4/1300/1400)." This psychic looked like Frankenstein's monster if Dr. Frankenstein was blind; the bolts in his head didn't seem to serve a purpose and the blue suit he wore offended everyone's sense of fashion. Most important, though, were the two needles he had instead of hands. "By paying 600 Life Points, all psychic monsters gain 500 points. Now HPB (+3500) is strong enough to attack Guardian Grarl (3000)." His astronaut charged plasma in both guns and released them simultaneously, sending a black beam and a white beam across the field. "Oh, and Power Injector (+1800) can attack Cyber Phoenix (1200)." Using the syringes like rapiers, Nathan's other monster pierced the metallic bird and destroyed it. "Set one card," he added as he waved to indicate the end of his turn.

Alister and Jessica 2300 – 500 – 400 = 1400: Nathan and Hillary 2400 - 600 = 1800.

"My turn," Alister said. "First, during my Draw Phase, I can skip drawing to take Spirit Burner out of the Graveyard instead. Next I'll play Pot of Avarice: I take five monsters from my Graveyard and shuffle them back into the deck to draw two cards." After he did so, he added, "That means now I have no monsters in my Graveyard, so I can summon Guardian Eatos (8/2500/2000)," a winged guardian wearing a headdress like an eagle and the rarest of the Guardians. "To power her up, I'll equip Eatos with Mage Power, Big Bang Shot, and Spirit Burner." Altogether, the three different color auras that surrounded Eatos (+4400) on the field gave her a massive attack boost. "I'm also going to send Spirit Burner to the Graveyard; this activates Eatos's effect to remove from play three monsters in your Graveyard, and she gains 500 points for each." He selected one of Hillary's monsters and two of Nathan's from the Graveyard lists on the Duel Disk.

"I'll play Divine Wrath," Hillary countered. She discarded a card from her hand and lightning struck Guardian Eatos. "It negates your monster's effect and destroys it."

"Counter with Counter Counter," Jessica replied. "Your Counter Trap is destroyed immediately." The lightning dispersed around Eatos and Hillary's card set again.

"Aw, man."

Alister grinned. "Eatos (+5400) will attack Power Injector (-1300)."

"I'll use Negate Attack," Hillary said as an invisible wall appeared on the field and blocked Eatos's progress. Alister was content to set one card and end his turn there.

Hillary had her Duel Disk set up on a tray on her wheelchair. She had the upper body strength to lift it, but it was enormously inconvenient considering the arms of the chair. She drew her card and studied it for a moment. It wasn't immediately helpful, but then she noticed how she could combo it with another limited card already in her hand.

"By removing two of my fairies from my Graveyard, I can summon Soul of Purity and Light (6/2000/1800)." A clear spirit with the form of a woman appeared on the field, naked but obscured through her wings and intentional hologram disruption. "Now I have only four monsters in my Graveyard, so I can summon Archlord Kristya (8/2800/2300)." This one was a white creature with red wings and cloth across the torso. "When I use this effect, I get to take a fairy from my Graveyard and return it to my hand."

Hillary looked over to Nathan and asked, "May I borrow a monster?"

"Whatever helps," he replied.

"Thank you. I'll send Power Injector, Kristya, and Soul of Purity and Light to the Graveyard to summon Moisture Creature (9/2800/2900)." He monster was an alien with indistinct features—just a floating circle with yellow eyes and two weapons floating in front of it. The gun pointed at Alister's field. "When summoned with three Tributes, Moisture Creature destroys all your Spells and Traps." The gun released a corrosive fluid through the air.

"I'll play Fake Trap." Jessica's card rose, and a purple gremlin began hopping around with a handwritten label that read "FAKE." "It protects all Trap cards from destruction.

"You're too good at this," Hillary pretended to whine. "I'll attack Eatos (-3900) with Moisture Creature (2900). Of course, I'm not stupid; I'll discard the Honest I got from Kristya's effect." A winged man wearing blue robes from Ancient Greece appeared in the sky. He held together the bracelets he wore on each arm and covered Moisture Creature (+6800) in a bright light. "It gives my monster additional attack points equal to your monster's attack points."

"I remember," Alister said, thinking about how she used Honest to beat his Guardian Tryce earlier. "I'll play Mirror Force." A reflective wall appeared on the field, and Moisture Creature's energy bounced right back at him.

Hillary groaned with a smile on her face; she was annoyed that she didn't end the duel just now, but she was enjoying this. The tension of being in the semifinals added an air of fun to the duel.

Jessica thought it was funny so much happened during these last turns and no one lost any Life Points. "I'll summon Rescue Cat (4/300/100)." Her monster was a white cat—small and furry, with those big cat eyes that made it look adorable—wearing a hard hat and a whistle around its neck. "By Tributing it, I can summon two copies of A Cat of Ill Omen (2/500/300)." The white cat blew the whistle and disappeared, replaced by two black cats with menacing red eyes and wearing Egyptian gold jewelry. "I'll also play Double Summon to give myself another summoning this turn. I'll send both Cats to the Graveyard to summon Perfect Machine King (8/+3700/1500)." Her field filled with a large machine, Japanese in nature, that resembled a humanoid robot. Two streams of electricity flowed into it from Alister's and Nathan's monsters. "It gains 500 points for every other machine on the field, an upgraded version of Machine King's effect."

"I know," Nathan remarked.

Jessica looked around for a second. "Well, sorry this turn won't be as wild as the previous two were. Unless you have a big Trap to play, I guess Perfect Machine King (3700) will attack Hyper Psychic Blaster (3000) without a hitch." Nathan shook his head. Jessica's massive machine plowed its fist into the white astronaut. "That ends my turn."

Alister and Jessica 1400: Nathan and Hillary 1800 – 700 = 1100.

Nathan sighed and folded his hand. "I don't have any moves."

"Nothing?" Alister rephrased with emphasis. "You keep us on the ropes through this whole duel, and now you've suddenly got nothing at all?"

"Nothing that will give us a win. No matter what I play, you will be able to win in the next turn with your Guardian Eatos (3900)." Equipped with Big Bang Shot, Eatos could inflict piercing damage to any defense monster Nathan could set, and he didn't have enough Life Points to leave any monster in attack mode, either.

Hillary was getting excited. "Come on, Nathan! You've got to have something. We can't lose to the best tag team duelists on the island."

Nathan shrugged. "I can't win." But that didn't assuage Hillary's zeal; she insisted he do something to beat Alister and Jessica. Nathan wasn't sure he had any moves available, but he still decided to close his eyes and watch in his mind as his cards moved around like Pai Gow tiles.

He spent so long doing so that Laura Guertin, the judge for the duel, declared, "Time's up. Make your move now or forfeit your turn." She was a real stickler for the rules; she always looked immediately at her watch whenever Nathan's turn came up because he tended to take his time between moves.

Nathan opened his eyes. "Yeah, fine. I'll play Premature Burial to revive Hyper Psychic Blaster (3000)." His white, Tron-like monster hit the field again. "I'll play Assault Mode Activate." His facedown card lifted, and his monster was encased in a field of white energy. "This lets me transform my monster into Hyper Psychic Blaster/Assault Mode (11/3500/3000)." The mechanical armor altered its shape; wings sprouted from the ring on its back, the black gun merged with the armor into a phase-type gun, the white gun merged to resemble a Mega Man-style buster, a mask covered the monster's face, and the armor as a whole grew in size.

"That's impressive," Alister admitted. He recognized that Nathan's monster wasn't as powerful as his strengthened Eatos (3900), or even Jessica's Perfect Machine King (3700). So what was Nathan planning?

"Well, I know we've only got 200 Life Points left, but all I can do is have my monster attack Eatos." The armored astronaut started collecting energy in the barrels of each gun, finally releasing the energy from the white gun as a thick, heavy, white beam. They smothered Eatos, but the Guardian's wings deflected most of the attack.

"What was the point to that?" Alister wondered aloud. "Eatos gets to counterattack now." As he spoke, his Guardian flew across the field and struck Nathan's monster, cracking the armor. Nathan and Hillary's points dropped to zero.

"The point is," Nathan explained, "HPB/Assault Mode does more than just attack as usual." Suddenly, his monster released the energy from his other gun; this one came out as a focused, black beam that bypassed Guardian Eatos and struck Alister directly. "When he attacks, you lose LP equal to your monster's defense, and we gain LP equal to your monster's attack."

"But I have Bad Reaction to Simochi on the field," Jessica pointed out.

Nathan nodded slowly. "Yeah. That's why I said I had no way for us to win this. But Hillary insisted, so I figured we can settle for a tie."

Alister and Jessica 1400 – 2000 = 0: Nathan and Hillary 1100 – 800 – 900 – 3900 = 0.

The crowd was caught somewhere between amazement that Nathan and Hillary pulled out a tie and annoyance that now they would have to do a second duel in order to determine a winner. Laura, on the other hand, believed differently about the rules.

"A tie means neither team advances," she announced. "According to the rules established at the beginning of the tournament, each team participates in one duel per round."

"Shouldn't that mean, 'one _successful_ duel'?" Alister asked.

Jessica agreed, "Yeah. We should duel again."

"Rules are rules," Laura reiterated, "and you all agreed to them when you signed up."

Hillary was disappointed, but she smiled at Nathan. "At least we know they don't suck any less than we do. We can be proud of that."

Nathan didn't show any obvious signs of understanding her words or even caring. "I'm just happy not to have to do this anymore."

Alister and Jessica were slightly more irritated. "So that's it? We just settle for a tie and, what? Everyone else moves to the final round without us? Who does that leave, anyway?"

###

As the Duel Academy Tag Team Tournament rolled into its final week and all the students began cramming for finals, only five teams remained. Though the total number of duelists in the tournament was even, the number of teams was odd, and so the semifinal round set up the following bracket: Numbers Harper and Keiju Iwase versus Kasumi Okuyama and Thomas Estrada, Alister and Jessica versus Nathan and Hillary; Carter Jade and Ivy Roaks would duel the winner of the latter duel. The way the tournament wrapped up, Numbers and Kejiu beat Kasumi and Thomas, then Alister and Jessica tied Nathan and Hillary; that meant Carter and Ivy were automatically moved to the finals.

"We got to the finals by default?" Carter repeated when Cary told him the news. "That's the same way I got Best Dressed in high school; the other guy came to school naked as a joke. Nobody got it."

Ivy made a face. "I'm not sure how to respond to that. Why don't we just get ready?"

"Probably a wise choice. Who are we playing against?"

Cary answered, "Numbers and Keiju."

"I figured they'd make it to the finals," Ivy commented.

Carter asked, "Aren't they the ones in charge of Team Lockdown?" Cary informed him they were. "Doesn't it detract from your team to have the leaders of the opposite team win a tournament you're hosting?"

"We get money out of it either way." Carter admitted that was a good enough reason not to care who wins. "That reminds me," Cary said as she looked at Ivy. "Matt wants me to tell you that if you can set up an appropriate OTK strategy in the finals, you can be the newest member of Team OTK without dueling against him first."

Carter smiled excitedly and patted Ivy on the back. "Hey, alright. You get to bypass dueling the best duelist in school provided you can beat his two nemeses. How often does that opportunity come along?"

Ivy laughed. "I doubt it's often. But beating them will be difficult."

"That's an understatement," Hillary commented. She and Nathan were with Ivy and Carter, discussing the way the tournament worked out. She wasn't thrilled not to be the one getting to duel in the finals, but at least her friends received that chance.

"They'll be tough," Nathan agreed from his supine position on the bleachers of the Hibiki Center. Normally, a duel sponsored by one of the Academy's teams would be held at someplace less official, but seeing as Matt now had connections and was accruing favors with the faculty, he managed to finagle permission to hold the finals someplace all the participants could witness.

"I'd like to point out that we're only here because you guys took out Alister and Jessica," Carter told his friends. "I'd also like to point out, _ha ha!_ We're here because you guys took out Alister and Jessica."

"Such is life," Nathan quipped.

Hillary conceded, "Well, it's _almost_ just like we planned when we teamed up this way, even if the unexpected team made it to the finals."

There was still a little time to get set before the duel actually began. Nathan and Hillary used that time to find ideal places to be lazy, and Ivy and Carter used the time to make minor alterations to their decks. Numbers and Keiju, both adorned in blue uniforms since their sophomore years, were as powerful of foes as Duel Academy could produce. It didn't take long for the center to fill up with spectators.

With all eyes on the duel, Ivy received the first turn.

"I'll start by summoning Cactus Bouncer (4/1800/300)." A short, stout cactus with two bulky arms and an intimidating grin on its face outstretched its arm toward Numbers and Keiju. "I'll also place one card facedown and activate Black Garden." Her Field Spell covered the field in dark, thorny vines with black roses blossoming here and there. "That's my turn."

Keiju drew and began his turn. "I'll summon Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV4 (4/-800/1000)." As soon as his metallic, pigeon-like dragon appeared on the field, the vines from Ivy's Black Garden reached out and wrapped around the dragon. "What's it doing?"

Numbers smiled. She didn't know ahead of time the details of all the cards in Ivy's deck, but she was well versed in many cards, and quick on the uptake for the few she didn't know. "Black Garden cut your monster's attack power in half. Next, she'll get a Rose Token (2/800/800) on her field." Sure enough, a rose blossomed on Ivy's side of the field in attack mode.

"Then I might use this," Keiju said. "Stamping Destruction allows a dragon on my side of the field to destroy any Spell and inflict damage to you." Horus began stomping as he charged toward the Black Garden card.

"I'll play Pollinosis," Ivy quickly countered. "By Tributing the Rose Token on my field, I can negate the activation of your Spell card." Pollen spread across the field in such quantities it looked like a yellow blanket. As if struck with sudden boredom, Horus stopped his rampage and calmly walked back to his side of the field, still wrapped in vines. Keiju ended his turn with just one card facedown.

Carter gave a little laugh. "My turn. I'll discard one card to summon Quickdraw Synchron (5/-350/1400) to my field." His Synchron wore a cowboy getup, complete with two holsters and a cloak wrapped around his body and mouth. Black Garden immediately enveloped his monster, and a Rose Token (800) blossomed on Numbers' side of the field. "That was a Special Summon, so now I'll Tribute him to summon Silent Swordsman LV5 (5/-1150/1000)." Black Garden grabbed this swordsman, equipped with a blue trench coat and a massive buster sword, and another Rose Token blossomed on Numbers' field. "Before I end my turn, I'm going to set a card and play Field Barrier to protect my partner's Black Garden." The vines comprising Black Garden began to shine, protected from destruction by Carter's barrier. "It's your turn, little lady."

Numbers just shook her head as she drew. "I'll set two cards and a monster."

"That's where my card comes in," Carter said. "Light of Intervention prevents anyone from setting monsters; everything has to be face-up in defense mode."

Numbers accepted the limitation and revealed her Sangan (3/-500/600), a little, yellow critter with three eyes. A Rose Token (800) blossomed on Carter's field. "I'll put these Rose Tokens in defense mode." Then she gave the slightest nod toward Ivy.

Ivy nodded back, which Carter noticed but didn't understand. "Do we nod, too?" he asked Keiju. Keiju rolled his eyes and told Carter not to worry about it.

"My turn," Ivy said. "I'll summon Botanical Lion (4/-1400/2000)," a root-like quadruped with a face lion a lion and a mane of petals; its points were cut when Black Garden grappled it with vines, but it gained an additional 300 points per plant Ivy controls. And by Black Garden's effect, another Rose Token (800) blossomed on Keiju's field. "Time to attack: Cactus Bouncer (1800) against Horus (800) and Botanical Lion (1400) against the Rose Token (800)." The Bouncer jumped into the air and body slammed the silver dragon, and then the lion-like root tore into the Rose. "I'll set one more card and end my turn."

Ivy and Carter 8000: Numbers and Keiju 8000 – 1000 – 800 = 6200.

Keiju was well aware of the difficulty facing Ivy's strategy; Cactus Bouncer, as long as there was another plant on the field, prevented any player from Special Summoning a monster. That meant Horus couldn't evolve and Numbers couldn't play her chaos monsters. The only exception was Token summoning, such as through Black Garden, but that was hardly helpful.

"I've got one idea," he said. "I'll play Brain Control to take control of that Cactus Bouncer." A pair of demonic hands reached across the field for Ivy's monster, but suddenly the hands disappeared; instead, a well dressed man slipped a gold coin to Keiju's side of the field.

"I'll chain Dark Bribe," Ivy said. "It negates the effect of your Spell and lets you draw one card instead."

"How unfortunate. I'll summon Golem Dragon (4/-100/2000) in defense mode." Black Garden didn't affect a monster's defense points; at least this way, he was a little better protected, even if another Rose Token (800) blossomed on Ivy's field. "I'll also activate Ground Collapse." Suddenly two monster zones on Ivy's field disappeared, leaving her with a field that allowed a maximum of three monsters. This was step one of Keiju's lockdown.

"Here we go," Carter said when he drew. "I'll summon Drill Synchron (3/-400/300) in defense mode." This Synchron was a small ball with treads and three drills. "With this on the field, my warriors can inflict piercing damage, like when I send Silent Swordsman (1150) after Sangan (600)." The Swordsman's massive blade split the critter easily, and using Sangan's effect, Numbers retrieved Fabled Raven (1300). "And that's all for now."

Ivy and Carter 8000: Numbers and Keiju 6200 – 550 = 5650.

"You're pretty good so far," Numbers admitted. "You've got us locked out of Special Summoning with that Cactus Bouncer (1800), and you were smart enough to summon it before playing Black Garden to avoid cutting its points." Ivy was pleased to hear her praise. "Now let's see what you can really do. I'll summon Fabled Raven (2/-650/1000)." The field showed a man wearing all black, including over his face, and with bladed feathers growing from his arms. "And before making any other moves, I'll activate Royal Decree." She smiled because she was pretty sure, and correct in this case, that Ivy set Divine Wrath to destroy any effect monster who might try to grow stronger than her Cactus. "Now, by discarding three cards from my hand, Raven (+5/1850/1000) gains one level and 400 attack points for each."

"Uh oh," Carter muttered. "This could be the end of your Cactus Bouncer."

Keiju nodded. "That's kind of the point, isn't it? It's hard to paint a bigger target on your monster than to block Special Summons."

"So to continue my turn," Numbers said, "Raven will attack Cactus (1800)." Thanks to Royal Decree, no other Traps could activate to protect Ivy's monster. Numbers' monster sliced through the Cactus Bouncer. "Before I end my turn, I'm going to take advantage of the fact that we can Special Summon again. By removing Sangan, Shining Angel, and two Giant Germs from my Graveyard, I summon Sky Scourge Norleras (8/-1200/1500)." The field shook as big fiend grew from a hole in the floor, showing only its torso covered with spikes and bandages.

Carter hummed softly. "I may have been a bit premature with 'uh oh' earlier."

Numbers giggled. "I think so. By paying 1000 Life Points, Norleras destroys all cards on the field and in our hands." Norleras slammed his bandaged hands on the ground, and the darkness spread from his body. It slowly consumed everything on the field—itself included—leaving behind only Black Garden.

"Lucky I play Field Barrier," Carter commented. "We still get Black Garden to protect us."

"Sure," Numbers uttered. "Norleras also lets me draw one card." She picked it up and played it immediately, revealing a green pot with a goofy grin on its face. "I play Pot of Greed, but not in the usual way. I'm playing this Spell on behalf of my partner; that means he gets to draw two cards instead." Keiju gave a slight bow in thanks as he drew two cards. "Now, seeing as I have no cards left, I'll end my turn."

Ivy and Carter 8000: Numbers and Keiju 5650 – 1000 = 4650.

The only thing on the field was Black Garden, and only Keiju held any cards in his hand when Ivy drew. "Mama needs a winner," she told her deck. "Good enough," she decided. "I'll summon Lonefire Blossom (3/-250/1400)." Her monster was a small sprout that looked like a bomb growing out of the ground. "I can Tribute Lonefire Blossom to summon any plant from my deck: Tytannial, Princess of Camellias (8/-1400/2600)." Her field sprouted a giant camellia, and a woman grew from the stigma. She was covered by petals and fronds and had hair like a camlleia. She was more than a match for the two Rose Tokens (800) that blossomed on Keiju's field. When Tytannial attacked, she covered the field with poisonous pollen that withered one of the Rose Tokens. "That ends my turn."

Ivy and Carter 8000: Numbers and Keiju 4650 – 600 = 4050.

Keiju took a deep breath before he drew, a process which has proven a useful tactic for duelists over the years to help them draw better cards. "I'll play Dragon's Mirror; by removing Lord of Dragons and Divine Dragon Ragnarok in my Graveyard from play, I can summon King Dragun (7/-1200/1100)." A dragon-man with a humanoid torso and a serpentine body slithered onto the field. The cape across its shoulders billowed despite the lack of wind inside the arena. "Once per turn, King Dragun can summon a dragon from my hand, such as Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6 (6/2300/1600)." This time, he played a silver, phoenix-like dragon that stood twice as tall as the first and had a much stronger body. The vines from Black Garden whipped out to confine the dragon, but its scales repelled the effort. "Horus LV6 is immune to all Spell effects," Keiju announced.

"I repeat the 'uh oh,'" Carter spoke.

Two Rose Tokens (800) appeared on Ivy's field during the process, offering a certain level of protection, but now Keiju had three monsters. "I'll destroy your Tokens with King Dragun (1200) and my Rose Token (800)." King Dragun ripped through a Token while the Token simply fired a thorn at the other side of the field, killing itself and as well. "Now Horus will immediately destroy Tytannial (1400)." The stream of black fire burned through the camellias and cleared the field. "I'll place a card facedown and end my turn."

Ivy and Carter 8000 – 400 - 900 = 6700: Numbers and Keiju 4050.

Carter drew and realized the level of comeback Numbers and Keiju might be pulling off here. He looked upon his United We Stand, a powerful equip card that didn't help without a monster, and placed it facedown as a bluff. "That will do for now."

Numbers just grinned. "I'll remove Fabled Raven and Chaos-End Master from play to summon Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning (8/-1500/2500)." The knight clad in black and gold armor, shining with such luster as to blind anyone looking directly at it, stepped onto the field. He drew his sword and readied his shield while a Rose Token (800) blossomed on Carter's field. He leaped forward and cut right through the Token, then returned to Numbers' field with his sword drawn. "Whenever Envoy of the Beginning destroys a monster in battle, he can attack again." Her monster lunged again and struck Carter directly. "That ends my turn."

Ivy and Carter 6700 – 700 – 1500 = 4500: Numbers and Keiju 4050.

Ivy drew, holding her breath until she looked upon the face of the card. "I'll put a card facedown and end my turn." She knew Keiju would try to end the duel in his next turn, but to do that, he'd have to summon another monster; she could activate Torrential Tribute and wipe the field clean again.

Keiju didn't even look at his card. "I'll attack directly with Horus LV6 (2300) and King Dragun (1200)." His two monsters unleashed their attacks directly, and then a ring appeared on King Dragun's finger; in lieu of a jewel, it displayed a bomb. "Destruction Ring destroys one monster on my field and deals 1000 points of damage to each of us." When the ring exploded, King Dragun disappeared, and after a brief pause, the holograms shut down.

Ivy and Carter 4500 – 2300 – 1200 – 1000 = 0: Numbers and Keiju 4050 – 1000 = 3050.

"We were so close," Carter commented.

Keiju shook Carter's hand and said, "To be fair, the top two Lockdown duelists don't achieve their levels without pulling off a few comebacks. You did an amazing job just taking and holding an early lead."

As Numbers shook Ivy's hand, she said, "Just as I promised." When she released Ivy's hand, the younger duelist looked in her palm to see a badge with the Team Lockdown logo. "Your Garden Lockdown strategy was impressive. An average duelist would have lost pretty quickly, and I have to take into account the fact that Tag Duels are much more challenging for maintaining a lockdown strategy."

"Thanks."

Cary stepped up with a grin. "I take it this means you've declined Matt's invitation to sign up for Team OTK."

Numbers smiled and said, "Ivy's going to go with a winner."

"What about me?" Carter asked.

Numbers just smiled. "I'd love to have _you_ join Team OTK."

"I'll bet you would," Cary replied. "Anyway, congrats, guys, for winning the tournament. I think Laura plans to present you with your prize at the December graduation ceremony." When asked why Matt wouldn't do it, she said, "This tournament was Laura's baby, and Matt is a big wuss."

He may be a wuss when it comes to women, but he planned to conquer one fear during the winter break; he was going to confront his foster father to find out everything he could about his parents.

* * *

_A bit abrupt, I know, but I wanted to get this out today and I feel a little burned out after that second duel. I didn't realize it was going to be so tough to write. I think I did it all correctly, but I admit I don't play plants. I don't know how busy next week will be, but I'll try to get up the next chapter. Now that the tournament is done, things should be a little easier for me in terms of having a real story._

_The next chapter will start the semester of Duel Academy and discuss a little more about the Ghost Duelist. Look for it soon._

_Credits:_  
_Darius Mantzios...tiramisu19_  
_Jason Maxim...Maxim and Knight_  
_Nathan Zislaw...Mavrik Zero_  
_Hillary Delaney...Nodqfan144_  
_Lili Von...Happy2BMe_  
_Carter Jade...Jaden2010  
Mitsuro Itachu...Titanic X  
Sean Bivins...DarkVestroia2_  
_Naoto Kurotsuki...Kurotsuki Haru_  
_Hayley Wilson...TeamRocketDiva_  
_Maikeru Stone...onyxshade7  
Victor Rocks & __Abel Shinzou...Iron-Arm-V_  
_Alister Kazama & Jessica Parks...ZaneKazama001_  
_Synthia Spencer...Madly Chessur_  
_Leila & Linear Lockhart...Windraider_  
_Romulus Malligan...Maximus1_  
_Everyone else so far...YamiRuss_


	18. You Belong With Me

Chapter 18: You Belong With Me

The first thing Matt thought when he stepped in his room was, "Everything looks the same." He turned around to look through the open door next to his, the room where his suitemate lived. That room was similar to its appearance before Matt left for the winter break, but the bed's blue sheets were black now, there was a white carpet on the previously hardwood floor, and all the furniture was replaced in positions that accommodated one person's living quarters; it was no longer set up for weekend gatherings.

"Yet so different."

Matt walked into his room and dropped his two suitcase bags next to the dresser. He considered leaving them there until just before bed, but his general rule was to unpack right away. All he had was clothes and books, anyway. But he really wanted to see how Bryan was doing; that his door was open suggested he couldn't be far. He probably just ran downstairs to grab something from the vending machine.

After Matt plugged in all his electronics and turned on the TV for background noise, he started unpacking. As soon as he finished putting away his underwear, a light rapping on the door alerted him to the presence of a hesitant friend.

"Hey, Kas!" He was happy to see the beautiful, auburn hair and knockout body of his girlfriend Kasumi Okuyama. She wore her yellow Academy jacket over a purple sweater, blue jeans, and high heeled boots; her hair was perfectly straight around her shoulders; and her lip gloss made it irresistible for Matt to kiss her. "I missed you."

"I'm glad," she replied, not intending that to sound as insecure as it did. Matt seemed not to notice, though, so she put on a smile.

"How did you get in?" Yellow duelists couldn't enter the Blue Mansion with their ID cards alone. They had to be let in by a resident or a staff or faculty member.

"I was visiting Cary downstairs. When her suitemate came in, we figured you'd be here, too."

"Sorry it took me so long. I wanted to help you move into your dorm."

She clicked her tongue and said, "That's what happens when you wait until the very last transport to Duel Academy. I got here yesterday."

"I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you."

He couldn't help just staring at her. Her hazel eyes were like amber gems on her face, and even though her default expression was neutral and she didn't smile widely, the little grins she managed really made Kasumi beautiful. And it helped that she was willing to be a confidant without feeling compelled to offer advice. The fact that she was willing to sit and listen while he ranted made her even more beautiful to Matt.

"Thank you for being there for me. It really helped."

"I'm here for you." That prompted Matt to kiss her again.

Behind her, another student clad in a black, leather jacket that he wore even indoors walked into the next room with the open door. Then he popped back out to do a brief double take and realize Matt's door was also open. Putting a big smile on his face, he walked in.

"Hey! Look who's finally back!" Not one to be shy, Bryan hugged Kasumi from behind. She reacted with a start, which made Matt chuckle. Bryan released her and pulled Matt into a hug, saying it was good to see his co-King of Games back in time for classes to start the next day.

"Good to see you, too, bro. I guess that means you managed to complete all the coursework you missed?"

"Yep. Even with the penalties for doing it all late, I still managed to keep my GPA better than a 3.0. I'm ready to get my grades back this semester."

Matt smiled. "Good. I'm glad to hear it."

"So what about you? My mom said you only stayed for three days and then you were gone until the end of the break. Did you find anything?"

Matt paused for a second, wanting eagerly to say he found the information he wanted, but he couldn't even convince himself that what he found was worthwhile. "No. I have no idea if the guy stealing cards last semester is my brother or if he's just a look-alike."

"You had to find _something_ in four weeks."

Recalling the research and interviews he conducted, Matt described, "I started back home in Avesta. The three days I stayed at your mom's house were how long it took me to get anything substantial out of the jackass."

The "jackass" he referred to was his foster father. He used to beat Matt for stress relief because Matt was a quick healer and never left any evidence of abuse. Leaving for Duel Academy was the best feeling Matt had all through high school. Matt recently tried to get information from the jackass regarding the details of his adoption. As a man-couch hybrid, the jackass was not very open about anything; Matt wasn't sure if he was being difficult or if all that beer and liquor destroyed his hippocampus and, thus, his long-term memory. The jackass's wife was even more useless, being unconscious half the time from drug use.

It took three days of pressure, repetition, and fighting back, but Matt finally got the name of the social worker who performed the routine checks on the jackass's child-rearing skills.

"Mom said the day after you left, the police arrested the jackass and his wife on charges of child abuse. Apparently some of their kids, current and former, testified at the trial last week that abuse was common in many forms in that household. Where did that fit in your fact-finding mission?"

He shrugged. "A bonus. And it helps the other kids, too."

"You worried about Lindsay?" She was the only person aside from Bryan who Matt recognized as a sibling. She was not related to him by blood, but he actually developed a connection with her during their years in foster care.

"I didn't need to. She's starting her second semester at Georgetown: full academic scholarship."

"That's amazing. Isn't she, like, three years younger than we are?"

"And twice as smart," Matt agreed. "She'll be fine. But more pertinent to my trip back home, I checked in with Miss Rebecca Levron, the social worker who always allowed the jackass to maintain his certified foster care status. It turns out she was guilty of a few things, too."

Bryan made a face. "I hope you waited until after you learned something to turn her in."

"I said Lindsay was smarter; that doesn't mean I'm stupid." Matt explained how intensive interrogation and a little compute hacking—completed with the telephoned advice from an old friend—helped him learn that Miss Levron was taking bribes, but that she had no record of Matt's family.

"That led me to the big city of Gathas. It turns out my life is like a Disney character's. As an infant, I was found on the doorstep of a church. I tried to find out anything about who left me there, but no one at the church saw anything. Not even something as insignificant as a gender. It's like I just _appeared_."

Bryan sighed sympathetically. "That's it? Man, that's tough. I'm sorry, bro."

"It's okay. The next step is to find my look-alike and find out what he knows. Only a handful of people have actually seen him so far, and even though I trust Darius's word, I'll need to see this guy myself before I believe he is my brother."

"I'm here for you," Bryan admitted and slapped Matt on the shoulder.

Matt replied, "Good. Then let's stop talking about my boring break and start talking about you. What with your leaving school for a while and everything, it feels like it's been months since we had a legitimate chance to catch up."

Kasumi stepped beside Matt at one point; she stood quietly the whole time Matt recounted his winter break. "I'm going to head back to Cary's room before she starts assuming what we're doing. You guys need to catch up."

"We'll catch up, too," Matt promised as he kissed her. He watched her walk out of the suite and toward the stairs; Cary's room was on the second floor.

Bryan asked, "How's the relationship going?" Even before he left the campus, he knew Matt and Kas were having issues with jealousy and commitment.

"We're doing okay. I called her every night while I was in Gathas. It was nice to have someone to talk to about what I couldn't find." He took a breath and shifted the subject. "What about you and Lucy?"

Bryan hardly reacted. "What's to talk about there? We broke up." Before Matt could follow-up, Bryan suggested they not just stand there like characters in a sitcom; they should play video games while they talk. They went into Bryan's room and turned on _Halo_, but that wasn't enough to suppress Matt's curiosity.

"Why aren't you apologizing to Lucy and getting back together?"

Bryan laughed. "Dude, not every relationship is going to last. Even Ross and Rachel took ten years to get together."

"But they got together," Matt pointed out. "You and Lucy are perfect for each other. You help her relax and see the fun side of life and she puts up with all your crap… It's a perfect match."

"Move on, bro. We did. Isn't she still seeing that Bird Boy?"

Matt sighed. Lucy was comfortable talking to him, and she frequently did during the time right after Bryan lost a duel to Jason, a freshman prefect with a very impressive win ratio. She felt almost ready to say that she loved Bryan; she certainly felt strongly toward him. Matt wouldn't tell Bryan about it because it would mean more coming from Lucy, but knowing she felt that strongly made Matt uneasy seeing Bryan push her toward another guy.

"She doesn't love him."

"Well, give it time. They look good together."

"You can't mean that."

Bryan looked over with a glazed, nonchalant look in his eye. "Let it go. I don't know why you're so insistent that I get back together with Lucy when just six weeks ago you were ready to break up with Kasumi."

"A, we worked it out. B, Kasumi is a little nutty with her jealousy. She jokingly suggested that maybe I shouldn't even be friends with Cary anymore."

"You shouldn't. Cary's abrasive and sarcastic. She's just a bad seed."

It was clear Bryan wasn't interested in having a serious conversation. He wasn't even interested in taking the video game seriously; his Spartan was killed multiple times when Bryan stopped to look at his cell phone and exchange text messages with someone he wouldn't name. And he had no reservation with pausing the game amidst a hectic battle when his phone rang. He spoke a few words to the effect of someone outside the dorm ready to meet up, and his voice was somewhat giddy and excited.

"Expecting company?" Matt asked him.

"Yep. Want to come?"

Matt wasn't sure at first who Bryan was meeting, but by the time the two of them reached the ground level and stepped through the front door, he wasn't surprised to see someone vaguely familiar. The tattoos and piercings were easy to recognize; she was tall and her hair was colored pink. Perhaps none of that was as obvious at the five hundred-pound collection of mechanics beneath her seat; she drove a black Suzuki motorcycle, but that was as specific as Matt could get.

"Hey, babe," Bryan said as he wrapped his arms around the woman's leather bodysuit, which was very flattering for her form and unzipped way too far for January weather. She looked like she might be about seven or eight years older than Bryan, though, which was weird from his perspective. Matt also wondered if kissing her pierced lip didn't feel strange or painful.

"This is my brother, the guy I told you about," Bryan spoke to the woman. "Matt, this is Valerie Sheehan, mechanic from the bike shop."

"We met briefly," Matt recalled as he shook Valerie's leather-gloved hand. "I believe your hair was maroon at the time."

"Good memory," Valerie replied. "It's nice to meet you more officially. Bryan's told me a lot about you."

"Did he mention his age?"

But Valerie didn't miss a beat. "He even showed me his ID." Matt had to admit he was impressed that she kept up so quickly. That only meant he approved of her humor; he still didn't like that Bryan was dating her.

"We're going to the Duel Grille tonight," Bryan announced. "You should come with us. You never did get a chance to see me do stand-up. And it will give you and Val a chance to get to know one another through the mutual appreciation of making jokes at my expense." He was pleased with that thought; it pre-empted any jokes about him because he knew they were coming.

Matt nodded. "I'm game." He didn't want to be unfair to Valerie before he got a chance to know her. There was a chance she was a good match for Bryan after all. He just hoped Lucy was going to be okay. Bird boy—er, Jason—seemed like a less mature, more stereotypical guy than Lucy deserved.

When Matt glanced at the bicycle rack by the side of the mansion and saw the motorcycle chained up, he realized what Bryan did with all that money he got making book on the 3T last semester. It was also a Suzuki, but it was bulkier than Val's, and its ownership was obvious from the paint job—the H design found on Elemental Hero cards.

"I'll meet up with you guys after dinner, then," Matt decided. "I'm not interested in going cruising right now. I haven't even unpacked, and you know how I am about putting it off." He was able to jump to conclusions about what Val and Bryan had in mind when Bryan grabbed his motorcycle helmet before leaving the mansion.

"Fair enough," Bryan consented. He signaled to Val that he would be just another minute to join her. While she strapped on her helmet, Bryan jogged over to Matt's side and whispered so no one else could hear the conversation.

"Dude, how could you not even notice Val's rack?" He clarified that Matt had an excellent view when he shook Val's hand, but he didn't take the opportunity. And there's only one reason a real guy ignores a chance to check out a hot chick in a leather bodysuit.

"You're already in love," Bryan clarified.

Matt scoffed. "I like Kas a lot, but we're still nowhere near love."

"Say what you want, but I know you. Remember in high school when you fell for Lauren Montgomery? You completely ignored Wendy Waldeck even though she was totally hot and all over you, and just because you were in love."

"I am _not_ in love," Matt repeated more sternly. "Kas's jealousy placed a major strain on our relationship. She and I are finally getting _comfortable_. That's all so far."

"Whatever you say." He hopped on the bike and strapped his helmet on. "If you ever want a turn on here, just let me know. This baby rips."

And it sounded like it was ripping up the sidewalk as Bryan rode the bike down the path to the street. He and Valerie made all kinds of engine noise on their way out as Mitsuro Itachu, resident advisor in the Blue Mansion, exited the building. She looked down the road at Bryan as if she were ready to confiscate the bike altogether.

"I hate that thing," she commented to no one but aware that Matt was right next to her. To him specifically, she said, "I've only been back three days and he's already driving me nuts with that noisy engine."

"Some guys like being the center of attention." He looked over to change the topic and asked, "How was your break? It's good to see you, Mitsuro." Mitsuro was tall and stern, making her somewhat intimidating for people who usually avoided confrontation. She was approachable and intelligent, though, despite her sometimes rough edges.

"You, too. I noticed you waited for the last ship to the island." Oh, she also had the discipline of a military family, which meant she was always among the earliest to an appointment.

"I had some things to take care of," he replied. "What are you up to? All ready for classes and everything?"

"Of course. I just hope Bryan and that stupid motorcycle don't spend much time around the dorms. I understand Dr. Lankford already spoke to Bryan about disturbing the other students, and even though there isn't currently a rule against having a motorcycle on campus, there might be soon."

"Geez. I always knew Lankford could be a bit of a stick in the mud."

"He has to be. Otherwise those motorcycles could keep us up all night, and a few of the other students actually like to study and learn."

Matt put on a curious expression. "Really? Could you point one out to me?"

Having nothing better to do for the moment, Mitsuro opted to head back upstairs with Matt and catch up while he unpacked his bags. She hung back at the door telling Matt about the changes she was making in her deck when Kenny Stewart, Matt's other suitemate, came back to his room wearing his spurred boots, heavy duster, and cowboy hat. He tipped the hat gently toward Mitsuro and said, "Evenin', ma'am."

"Hey, Kenny," she replied somewhat dryly. She thought Kenny's cowboy getup was goofy, but she didn't make fun of him for it as thoroughly and Matt and Bryan did.

Kenny looked past her into Matt's room. "Howdy."

Matt gave a slight nod. "Good to see you, Pompey. Could you do go get Doc Willoughby? If he's sober, bring him back." His quote was met with laughter as Kenny recognized lines from his favorite movie.

"I heard Bryan was doing comedy tonight at that Open Mic Night place he likes. You reckon they'll let me play a new tune I came up with?"

"That's why they call it Open Mic."

Mitsuro smiled amusedly. "Actually, that sounds like fun. It's nice to get off campus every now and then, even if the semester hasn't started yet."

"You're welcome to come along," Matt invited her. "If Kenny sings _before_ Bryan does his stand-up, it sure could be an interesting evening. Plus, you'll get the chance to meet the lady who convinced Bryan to purchase his four-cylinder noise machine."

She rolled her eyes. "Dream come true." But she was still going; she tried to support and understand her classmates, even if that meant getting to know someone who could be a potential problem on campus.

* * *

Knowing Bryan's ego and his propensity toward an audience, Matt did not find the size of the crowd at the Duel Grille a coincidence. In addition to the usual suspects, comprising Cary and Kas, Matt recognized from campus a few other Blue duelists and a whole slew of Red duelists. The easiest to notice in the latter crowd was Rory Ruiter, who smiled so brightly she could reflect light directly back in Matt's eyes.

Aurora Ruiter was an easygoing girl—she had to be with a name like Aurora—who always dressed comfortably and encouraged liveliness in those around her. She contrasted with Kasumi fairly sharply. Rory was lighter in skin, smaller in weight, and had no more fight training than a musician; Kasumi was Oriental, strongly built, and trained in several styles of karate. The thing Kas found most annoying about Rory was that she didn't even seem to care she was the cause of the potential rift between Kas and Matt.

"I hate that girl," Kas grumbled.

"Why?" Matt wondered.

Suddenly Cary smacked Matt in the back of the head with a spoon, prompting him to recoil and complain that she got him right in the pointy part of the skull.

"It's called the occipital bone," she told him, "and I just wanted to know if you were really that dense or if it was all through stupidity." She didn't feel the need to clarify that in a large group of freshmen, Matt's attention went straight to the middle of the crowd, past the tattooed girl and the guy with the French fries in his nose to the short girl with the red highlights in her hair, which weren't even all that noticeable in the dim lighting of the Duel Grille.

"She's just a friend," Matt defended himself. "And a student. Even if I thought she was even remotely attractive, I wouldn't be allowed to act on it at all." Not a good argument when trying to convince his girlfriend he wasn't attracted to someone else. And everyone was aware of the sudden shift in the mood; the heat and humidity seemed to rise dramatically even though the room temperature never changed.

"I think I might order a drink after all," Mitsuro suggested, stepping toward the bar briefly to share her ID. Kenny was inclined to agree with her sentiment.

After looking at the almost tangible frustration between Kasumi and Matt, Val asked bluntly, "Do you guys always fight like this?"

"Only on days that end in 'y,'" Bryan answered her.

The only thing that Kasumi liked less than knowing Rory was within a hundred yards of Matt was realizing Rory was going to sing on stage and Matt wanted to stay and hear it. She wanted to make some excuse that would drag Matt outside for a few minutes, but he wasn't the kind of guy to shun one friend at the request of another.

Rory winked in Matt's direction when the jukebox began playing Taylor Swift's _You Belong With Me_. The beat was pretty good and music was a good way to relax. Well, for everyone else it was; Matt's and Kasumi's heart rates rose when Rory winked. Rory began by singing:

"_You're on the phone with your girlfriend, she's upset. She's going off about something that you said. She doesn't get your humor like I do."_

"Oh, come on," Matt complained. "That could be directed at anyone."

He found it harder to ignore it when Rory soon sang, _"She wears high heels. I wear sneakers."_

He looked down at Kasumi's gorgeous legs and said, "Now that's just creepy." As Kasumi's glare threatened to bore a hole through Matt's eyes, he sighed and said, "Okay. I'll talk to her." Six weeks later when the song ended and Kasumi still glared, Matt couldn't even remember the words. He cautiously slipped away from the table and approached the table where Rory sat with her friends.

"Hey, Rory," he said uncertainly. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Many of Rory's friends made immature whooing sounds. Lili even suggested, "I told you he'd figure out that song was meant for him." Rory blushed as she told her roommate to shut up.

"Be careful," Synthia suggested when she noticed the people at Matt's table. "Kasumi over there looks ready to snatch you bald-headed."

"You could be right," Matt muttered, adding, "I think."

Unfortunately, the diner was too small to find someplace convenient to talk in private, and so Rory readily followed Matt just outside.

"Look," he started eloquently. "I hate to sound egoistical, and I know your friends are probably just messing with you, but Kas thinks you might have intended that song for me. I think she's being jealous and a little crazy, but she is certain—"

"No, I definitely directed it at you," Rory agreed.

Matt was prepared to deal with Crying Rory, Angry Rory, and Passive Aggressive Rory, but Confident Rory caught him by surprise. "I'm sorry; the light was in my ears. It sounded like you just said that Kasumi is not being paranoid."

"She's totally paranoid, but not about that song," Rory repeated. To clarify, she said with a grin that coy, yet confident, "You belong with me." Matt was still stunned and unsure how to proceed. Rory took the initiative:

"I like you. And Lili is positive you like me, too." She put up her hands in anticipation to say, "I know there's a rule against dating students when you're a TA, but that's why I'm not taking Dr. West's class this semester. I plan to keep flirting with you and I don't want to get you in trouble through mere accusations."

One reason for Matt's speechlessness was his heart rate; it was difficult for him to get oxygen to his throat when it felt like his heart stopped. Finally, he managed to force in a wheezy voice, "Kas and I finally got comfortable. Why are you still going to push?"

"Because it took you a full year to get 'comfortable,'" she replied, using air quotes as she spoke. "Besides, Bryan says you're in love with me. He thinks things will work out if I just make the first move. That's how he convinced me to come out tonight. He also promised me a ride on his motorcycle."

Bryan! He mentioned earlier that ridiculous theory that Matt must be in love with someone because he failed to look down Valerie's shirt. He obviously jumped to the conclusion that if Matt wasn't in love with Kasumi, he must be in love with the cute freshman. Yet, it didn't stop him from flirting with her a little.

Rory took a step closer. "I know you want things to work with Kasumi, but they say all's fair in love and war." She looked him right in the eye and said, "Unless you can convince me that you care more about her than about me, I don't plan to hide my feelings for you." When Matt stammered in reply, she just grinned. "That's what I thought." When Matt caught himself watching Rory walk back inside, he decided to stay outside in the cold for just a moment longer.

Channeling Scott Bakula, he sighed, "Oh, boy."

* * *

_Sorry for the delay. New job meant spending a lot of extra time at work these past three weeks._

_For those of you who have never tried posting one chapter of a story every week, allow me to point out something that will explain the change in tone over the next few chapters. The advantage to writing a whole story and only publishing it when finished is that you can go back and edit without having to go through the annoyance of replacing the previous post, and you can change something whenever the mood strikes you. The previous few chapters got away from me as I tried to use all the OCs who were submitted to me. I promised to add one more in the new semester, but I would like to hold off on adding more until the next part of the story. When this arc finishes, I will send a few people to another location for a while, and I will have room for new characters then._  
_The point for you to know is I will try to improve the way I use the characters I have, but I am not the most skillful writer, and so I can only promise to do my best. I appreciate your continued support. I do need to get the story moving, and so I will need to let up a little on the dueling. But don't worry: Dueling is still the central plot device; you'll see.  
_

_Credits:_  
_Darius Mantzios...tiramisu19_  
_Jason Maxim...Maxim and Knight_  
_Nathan Zislaw...Mavrik Zero_  
_Hillary Delaney...Nodqfan144_  
_Lili Von...Happy2BMe_  
_Carter Jade...Jaden2010  
Mitsuro Itachu...Titanic X  
Sean Bivins...DarkVestroia2_  
_Naoto Kurotsuki...Kurotsuki Haru_  
_Hayley Wilson...TeamRocketDiva_  
_Maikeru Stone...onyxshade7  
Victor Rocks & __Abel Shinzou...Iron-Arm-V_  
_Alister Kazama & Jessica Parks...ZaneKazama001_  
_Synthia Spencer...Madly Chessur_  
_Leila & Linear Lockhart...Windraider_  
_Romulus Malligan...Maximus1_  
_Everyone else so far...YamiRuss_


	19. The Blackening of Duel Academy

Chapter 19: The Blackness of Duel Academy

Dr. Corbin West was sitting at his desk, hard at work editing his newest research article for the _Journal of Educational Psychology_. He and a colleague coauthored an experimental paper on the topic of rationality versus emotion in decision making during a high-stakes duel. The research spawned from the observation that people with perfectly respectable intelligence quotients—high numbers, even—still do foolish things during a duel and during life. It was the newest step in thirty years of Dr. West's research.

But being a prolific research professor and former editor to six different psychological journals, he was not one to obsess about housekeeping. The windows were blacked out by piles of backdated issues of twelve different journal subscriptions, leaving only a tiny sliver of natural light in the office. Piles of books, research paper drafts, and manila folders covered the bookshelves and overflowed from the file cabinets. Two computer screens sat side by side—one for his article and one for his email and a half dozen pages regarding Duel Academy administration—with three external hard drives to cover thirty years of research articles and data. The computer equipment comprised the only items in the office that didn't exist back in the '70s.

It was the first time Rory ever saw Dr. West's office.

"Dr. West? Are you in here?"

The jovial professor looked up from his desk to see the young student standing in the doorway, hesitant to enter lest she accidentally step on something important.

"Hi, Rory. What can I do for you?"

She continued looking around, pretending not to see the smiling, gray mustache. "I can hear you, but I don't see you."

He smiled and let out an amused sigh, which is what the majority of his laughing sounded like these days. Being old enough to be grandfather to Rory, Dr. West long since noticed a gap between his sense of humor and the students'. That, and students tended to be gentle when they made jokes around him, thus he didn't get to hear the really funny ones.

"I know; my office could use a little cleaning."

Rory sardonically said, "No. You just need to set up a call and locate system. The Marco Polo game comes to mind."

"That might work. How are your classes so far?"

"They're good. It's only been a few days, but it looks like it will be a good semester." She paused briefly to put on an expression of slight puzzlement. "I wanted to ask if maybe Matt could tutor me a little."

"Tutor you? Aren't you one of our freshman prefects?"

"Yes. But there are still so many students here doing better than I am, and I want to make sure I don't get stuck at this level. I don't need a lot of help, I hope; I just thought a little extra studying with someone else who uses Cyber Dragons would be beneficial for me and my skill."

"Well, Matt is certainly the best of our current Cyber Dragon users," Dr. West agreed. "You aren't taking my Game Theory class this semester, are you?" Rory said that was correct. "You don't have to be one of Matt's students to stop by his office hours. Have you tried asking him for help?"

"Not yet. I know he's really busy between work and Team OTK. I wanted to make sure you were okay with it first."

Dr. West smiled and shrugged. "I don't mind if he helps you as long as he can do it without anything else falling through the cracks. I can't imagine you need _a lot_ of help, but maybe you could offer some kind of trade if he's really busy."

"What do you mean?"

"If he tutors you, you spend a little extra time in return helping him do a little of the research he needs to do. Don't feel like you have to help him, though; it's just a suggestion in case he's too busy."

"No, I like that idea," Rory said with a grin. "Thanks, Dr. West."

With that, she turned from the office and almost bumped into Nick Sims, an Armed Dragon user she recognized from her biology class the previous semester. He was fairly short, had round glasses on his round face, and had a Bieber thing going with his light brown hair.

"Sorry, Nick," Rory excused herself. Before she could walk away, Nick asked her, "Why do you need tutoring?"

"So I can get better," she answered vaguely.

"It wouldn't have anything to do with trying to steal Matt from Kasumi, would it?"

"That's none of your business."

He disagreed, though. "Kasumi is my friend. For whatever reason, she loves that dipstick and you're trying to spoil that."

"She's spoiling it all by herself," Rory challenged. Then she got curious: "What are you doing here?"

"I just turned in a Change of Schedule form to replace one of my classes with a different one. I just happened to overhear what might be the best freshman duelist asking to be tutored because she doesn't think she's good enough. I'm quick enough to know there was some kind of ulterior motive behind that. Especially considering that Taylor Swift song you sang for Matt."

Feeling herself blush, Rory asked, "How did you know about that?"

"Everyone knows. Three people can keep a secret only if two of them are dead." On that grim note, he added, "You'll be lucky not to be one of them if Kasumi gets really pissed with you."

What a way to start the semester.

"Pariah" wasn't an accurate description of the Locklear twins, Leila and Linear; that suggests being shunned by society. In reality, they tended to do the shunning. Each of them was short, had platinum blond hair, and had incredibly smooth, though relatively pale, skin. The only way to distinguish them, without knowing them better, was to recognize the body shape Leila slightly developed, or to assume that Linear kept his hair shorter because he was a guy.

As they sat at a table in the Yellow dining hall, Linear spent much of his time glaring at the other people who walked by the table. It was a warning for them not to get close.

"I wish we could just take the food back to our rooms," he grumbled.

Leila grinned. "I know. You say that every day."

"And I will keep saying it until it works."

The twins generally didn't like or trust other people, and so they kept to themselves. On the rare occasion they did socialize, it was only with someone they were forced to work with, such as a classmate on a project or a roommate, or someone they deemed in such a bad situation as not to be a threat. One example was anyone with a major mental disorder. A little depression didn't count, and neither did obsessive-compulsive disorder. Generally, the twins only approached if the disorder caused the person to suffer socially.

To wit, Hayley Wilson took a seat next to the twins.

"Password?" Linear asked without looking up from his macaroni and cheese.

"Hayley," was the reply.

Hayley Wilson was a perfect example of someone who was as uncomfortable with social interaction as the twins were. It wasn't that she didn't like people, but she was afraid of how much they knew about her. What really made her nervous was thinking everyone else might know something that she didn't. To sum things up, Hayley suffered from multiple personalities. Hayley's persona, generally considered her original persona, was unable to see or experience anything that happened while one of her alters had control; hence, she worried about how others viewed her. (As far as the password goes: The Locklear twins just liked to know what kind of personality Hayley was bringing to the table, and so whichever of the three alters was in control named herself as her password.)

"You seem especially upset this morning," Leila suggested. "Did something happen?"

Hayley shook her tired head. "I hope not." With a big sigh, she added, "I'm just getting tired of this—everyone looking at me like I could flip out at any moment and wondering what I might have said to them or done with them while unaware of it. And…" She trailed off, somewhat hopeful her friends didn't hear it.

"You might be the one attacking students late at night," Leila added. It was a little too blunt; Hayley looked ready to cry.

Duel Academy after hours was plagued by an unseen duelist who was powerful enough to overcome multiple duelists simultaneously. Only a few duelists saw him so far, and none suffered any documented negative effects. Because of this duelist's invisibility and secrecy, rumors referred to him as the Ghost Duelist. Rumors abound regarding the Ghost Duelist's identity. One of the prominent theories was that Hayley was the Ghost Duelist. (Nothing known about the mystery suggested whether the Ghost Duelist was male or female.) Though she had no reason to believe it, Hayley was convinced one of her alters took over her body while she slept and acted as the Ghost Duelist at night.

"I just wish I could get rid of them both."

"Didn't you take that psychology class to figure out how to fix it?" Linear could think of no other reason to study psychology.

"We didn't cover mental disorders," she replied. The basic psychology courses never go into such detail; they tend to cover the primary fields of psychology study, the biggest names in the various fields, and some of the most common phenomena. Mental disorders aren't covered without abnormal psychology, and occasionally clinical psychology. "Unfortunately, we don't have a clinical program so the Academy doesn't teach abnormal psyc."

"Have you tried the Internet?" Leila suggested. "Maybe there's information somewhere that can help you."

"Yeah," Linear scoffed. "Trust a place where anybody can post whatever they want without any credentials or knowledge whatsoever."

"That's a fair point," Leila conceded, "but someone still might have some good idea you'd never think of otherwise." Back to Hayley, she clarified, "Don't try _everything_ they suggest, but just see what's out there. Maybe someone has a stupid idea that might work."

"They're all stupid ideas," said Linear.

"Anything is worth a try," Hayley countered. "I just wish it would end." She slumped on the table, having not eaten much from her tray yet. It was exhausting being crazy.

Suddenly a big pair of hands slammed down on the table. Hayley jumped as she turned her head to see who would try so hard to scare her. The man who plopped down in the chair beside her—and with as little elbow room as he could get—was fairly big and hard to miss. Logan Wilson's green eyes and light skin were nothing out of the ordinary, but his personal dress code made him stand out. First of all, he wore a jacket belonging to a resident of the Blue Mansion. He did not steal it; he was a recent transfer student to Duel Academy whose test scores were high enough to place him in the highest dorm. It was not often someone of such status was found in the Yellow dining hall.

But his dress code also separated him from the other Blue duelists. He ripped the sleeves off his jacket to show off his biceps; though his arms were no bigger than a fence post, his muscles were very well developed and nicely displayed his tattoo of a black-winged skull with two swords piercing it on either side. And that still wasn't the most noticeable part of him: He wore two, empty sword sheathes on his back. (They were designed for longswords, and they wouldn't be empty if he had his way.)

Logan put one hand on Hayley's shoulder, which she quickly shrugged off, and said, "Aw. Why's a beautiful girl like you look so depressed? Was there no one here pretty enough to date you before I showed up?"

"Who the hell are you?" Linear asked harshly.

Logan wouldn't avert his gaze from Hayley's perfect skin as he waved off her friends. "I wasn't talk to you, toots."

"I'm a guy."

Now he broke his gaze. With a closer look, Logan realized that Linear just had soft features that made him appear slightly effeminate. In fact, he looked a lot like his sister except for the length of his hair and other subtle differences.

"Oh, geez. Sorry, dude." He turned back to Hayley and asked, "Did you know he was a dude?"

"Yes," she snapped. "Who are you? Why is a Blue duelist eating here?"

He put on a big, lopsided grin. "I'm Logan Wilson, transfer student."

"Friend of yours?" Leila asked Hayley, referring to the identical surname.

She shook her head. "I've never seen him before."

"She'd remember me," Logan assured them. He grabbed his chair and scooted closer to Hayley. "How'd you like to go to the broom closet and get to know each other a little better?" He raised his eyebrows after he spoke, as if he were being subtle.

Hayley did not interpret his words the way she was supposed to. Thinking back to the time one of her alters made out with another student in a broom closet, she asked, "Are you making fun of me?"

"Can you recommend a better way to pick up a beautiful woman in an Academy dining hall?" Actually, it wasn't Logan's intention, but he had a philosophy of never apologizing; instead, he preferred to roll with the punches and make a joke out of the situation.

"Please leave me alone," Hayley requested with a groan.

"I'm fine with that," Logan said. He didn't back away; he actually moved a tad closer. "But I don't know what that means, so maybe we can be alone together for a few hours to give me some practice. What do you say?"

That's when another hand slapped down on Logan's shoulder. Victor Rocks, the Yellow Dorm's own arrogant personality, stood with a confident stance as close to Logan as he could without being uncomfortable; it made him look taller.

"I believe the lady wants you to leave her alone."

Logan glared at Vic's hand, but his gaze traveled from Vic to Abel Shinzou, the equally big and intimidating friend Vic stood with. Two guys may not be so hard to beat up, even with the help of Ty and Clyde right behind them, but Logan wasn't sure he could do it without getting hurt. As much as he wanted to show off for Hayley, he opted for a different approach.

"Didn't I spin you like a beanie propeller and leave you in a motel in Dubuque?" Vic thought that line sounded familiar, but he wasn't interested in bonding with the Blue-jacketed punk who was hitting on Hayley.

"I think you have me confused with Get-the-Hell-Outta-Here."

"Clever," Logan said with a fake chuckle. He stood up and puffed up his chest to compare himself to Vic. The two were the same height and even similar in size, though Logan had more tone to his muscles. Once again, he made a point of looking around at Abel, who was a little bigger, and Ty and Clyde, who were neither tall nor toned. He was mentally flipping a coin to decide if it was worth fighting all four of them here and now.

Finally, he decided against it. He chuckled loudly and slapped Vic on the shoulder. "Lighten up, man. You look like you could use a soothing cup of tea and a bracing enema." He turned slowly toward Hayley again, and he lifted one hand to his lips slowly and strongly enough to show off the size of his arms. He blew a kiss toward her and said, "See you later, beautiful."

Vic started to follow him with clenched fists when Abel pulled him back by the shoulder. "He's not worth it, man."

"No, but it'll make me feel better."

Hayley sighed loudly. "I don't want to deal with you or your chauvinistic chivalry, either. Please leave."

Vic was still bothered that Hayley continued to deny ever making out with him; it was a massive blow to his ego. But now that rumors were spreading about Hayley's multiple personalities, he understood a little better. What he understood was that Hayley was very attracted to him even if she didn't want to admit it. He was not generally a chivalrous guy, but he was definitely interested in a repeat performance if he could catch her at the right time.

"Don't worry, baby. I'm here to cater to your every whim."

"My whim wants you to leave."

Abel muttered to Ty and Clyde, "Is it a whim if she only ever has one request?"

Vic motioned with his head. "Let's go, guys. I've got something better in mind, anyway." When he and his boys were outside the dining hall and out of Hayley's earshot, Ty asked him what he had in mind. "We're going to find out where Hayley spends her free time."

* * *

Duel Academy was founded on the carefully selected Pacific island named Academy Island. (Seto Kaiba's imagination had its disappointments to match its high points.) The island hosted a widely varying ecosystem, though the terrain was primarily wooded. The woods surrounded the campus on the back side up until the base of the volcano. It was on the side of the woods farthest from campus, not too far from the southeastern cliffs, where Clyde finally revealed his darkest secret:

"I'm scared of the park."

"Shut up, you weenie," Vic commanded. He pointed toward the sky with his gloved hand. "There's no leaves on the trees and it's still only three o'clock. It's not that dark."

Abel calmly replied, "He didn't say he's afraid of the dark; he's afraid of the _park_."

"The park? Why?"

Clyde had himself in a self-hug designed to protect him from whatever might attack him in the woods. "Trees without leaves freak me out. It's like they're alive with dozens of fingers."

Vic stared at his follower for a moment. He wasn't sure what to say until he came up with: "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Of all time."

"Lighten up," Abel said. "It is a little creepy out here. There's snow on the ground, the sky is pure white, and we're out here in the cold because you think your psychotic girlfriend is the Ghost Duelist who scared these two badly enough to wet their pants."

"Hey!"

"What?" Abel asked Ty. "You're going to claim that wet stain on your pants happened when you fell in the creek?"

"No. I'm just a bit offended that you keep mentioning how scared we got."

Vic declared, "Hayley isn't the Ghost Duelist. _That's_ why we're out here. You guys are going to help me prove it."

"Why? You think that will make her fall for you?"

He shrugged. "At least it should soften her up enough to get past second base." As he started picturing it in his mind, he got confused about something Ty and Clyde said. "Didn't you guys say the Ghost Duelist was a big, scary man?"

Abel mocked, "You just now realized the inconsistency?"

"Shut up." Back to the others, he asked, "How in the hell could you think Hayley was a man?"

Ty and Clyde nervously traded off excuses as they tried not to sound too pathetic, but also not to lie. "It was dark." "And we couldn't really see anyone." "The trees covered everything else in shadows." "And the Ghost Duelist's voice was stern and really scary." "Just like Hayley."

"You're scared of Hayley?" Abel confirmed. Ty and Clyde just exchanged glances, then began nodding vehemently. "Yeah, I can see that."

"Women aren't interesting unless they're a little scary," Vic said as he resumed thinking about Hayley, this time imagining her without her jacket on. He continued to look around through the brush and snow while he imagined Hayley with progressively less clothing.

After a full two minutes of silence, Abel asked, "What are we looking for, anyway?"

Vic said curtly, "Something to prove Hayley isn't the Ghost Duelist." He was annoyed to have his pleasant visions interrupted by Abel's deep voice.

Ty was confused, too. "What kind of proof?"

"Just look, nimbus! Find something to prove someone else _is_ the Ghost Duelist." Why did other people not know what Vic was thinking when he talked? Didn't they know how annoying that was?

Abel shrugged at Ty and told him just to look for anything out of place. That's when Clyde suggested, "Maybe Matt knows something."

"Who?"

Clyde pointed not even ten yards away where Matt leaned motionlessly against a tree. He hardly stood out in this environment with the black Academy jacket wrapped around his torso. Even his hair was jet black to match. He simply uttered:

"Thanks for noticing me." There was no energy in his words. He hardly even twitched as he spoke. It was like it took all his energy to speak at all.

"Matt?" Abel recognized. "I didn't see you there."

Ty added, "What did you do to your hair?"

"I don't mind," said Matt. "After all, I can't complain. I have my friends. Just yesterday, someone spoke to me. And only last week, Valerie shoved me in the snow." He looked up and gloomily added, "It's snowing still."

Abel, Ty, and Clyde were all equally confused as they exchanged glances. "So it is."

"And freezing." With only the slightest amount of energy that amounted to worlds of hopefulness. "At least we haven't had an earthquake in a while."

Victor wasn't buying into the depressed victim routine, or that Matt's being out there—the place where Hayley's angrier personality surely spent her time—was a coincidence. It was weird that Matt dyed his hair black and the only other person on campus who wore a black jacket was one of the professors, and she had a clear Goth-style dress code.

He stepped up and grabbed Matt by the shoulder. "Why are you here? You know something about the Ghost Duelist, huh, Matt?"

Barely showing signs of life, he replied, "I don't really like that name." Vic wasn't sure what he meant by that. "I like Nigredo, like my hair."

"Oh, come off it. You're the Ghost Duelist, aren't you?"

Seeming to notice the Duel Disk on his arm for the first time, Matt/Nigredo asked, "Do you mean metaphorically? Like how people tend not to notice me when I duel?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Being more a fan of force than of speech, but still aware that Matt was a football player in high school, Vic lifted his Duel Disk and activated it. "Let's just duel, yeah?" He glared over at Ty and Clyde, two earlier witnesses to the Ghost Duelist's existence. "We'll prove through the cards whether or not you're the Ghost Duelist." Nigredo unenthusiastically agreed while arming himself with a Duel Disk he kept in a plastic bag to protect it from the snow.

Ty asked, "Was Vic wearing his Duel Disk the entire time?"

"That's what I like about you," Abel replied. "You don't miss a thing." He stared at Nigredo for a moment, trying to imagine him showing up later at night, or even later in the year when the trees were covered in leaves. He looked to Ty and Clyde and asked, "Is it possible Matt is the Ghost Duelist you guys saw?"

They both just shrugged. "It was pretty dark," Clyde repeated.

"Geez."

Vic and Nigredo set up their duel field using the most wide-open space they could find, which meant there were a couple of trees inside the bounds of the holograms. (Ultimately, they didn't matter, though, because the cards were _holograms_.)

"I could take the first turn, if you really wanted me to," Nigredo offered.

"Oh, no, you don't," Vice replied, not being taken in by fancy wordplay. "I'm not falling for that Cyber Dragon of yours. _You_ go first." He caught himself as soon as he spoke. "I mean, shut up and duel!" Nigredo didn't laugh at him; Abel was the only one because Ty and Clyde didn't understand the conversation.

"Okay." Nigredo drew his cards and looked at them with despair. "I suppose a monster in defense mode isn't out of the question." A facedown monster card appeared on his holographic field and Vic's Duel Disk indicated his Draw Phase.

"That's it? I guess you really _have_ lost your edge." With a smirk, Vic slapped a card onto his Duel Disk. "I'll play Element Dragon (4/1500/1200)!" The play revealed a pink-scaled dragon with large haunches, thin wings behind the shoulders, and a small head covered by a red mane. "This is my favorite card, and he has the ability to make himself even better when I equip him with the Scroll of Bewitchment." A long, blue parchment with runic symbols unwound in the air only to wrap around the Element Dragon's pink body. The air began to glow green. "With this, my Element Dragon is infused with the Wind attribute. Now go attack his monster!"

The Element Dragon lunged forward and bit down into Nigredo's monster, which revealed itself as Worm Cartaros (4/1200/500), a light-skinned, moth man-like creature.

"There goes the Flip effect," Nigredo mumbled. "I take a Worm monster from my deck to my hand."

"Don't get too excited," Vic said, not realizing how ridiculous that sounded considering Nigredo's monotone voice. "Because there is a wind monster on the field—even himself—my Element Dragon gets to attack a second time." The air around the dragon turned sharp as blades of wind sliced through Nigredo. "I'll throw down another card and end my turn."

Vic 8000: Nigredo 8000 – 1500 = 6500.

"I expected you might win," Nigredo mumbled as he drew. "I guess I could activate Transmutation Circle – Nigredo." A black ring encompassed the field, extending beyond the trees within the duel field.

Curious about this card he'd never heard of, Abel wondered, "You have a card named after yourself?"

Vic had another interpretation. "Nah. He just likes the name of this card so much he nicknamed himself after it. It's kind of pathetic, really."

Abel turned to Ty and Clyde again, fully aware that they were not exactly walking libraries of knowledge. "Does this card look familiar to you?"

"Not really," Ty replied.

"It was dark," Clyde reminded.

Abel laughed to himself. "Hey, Vic. I don't think he's the Ghost Duelist."

"Are you sure?" Ty and Clyde had a real tough time committing to an answer, but they finally settled on the fact that the worm monsters didn't look familiar, and they think they might remember a card like Transmutation Circle – Nigredo. Growling to his opponent, Vic asked, "Seriously now: Are you the Ghost Duelist?"

"I only just started dueling this week. I doubt if I'm any good."

Vic scoffed with disappointment. Whoever this guy was, he wasn't acting like Matt. He looked exactly the same, but he put on such a good show that he had everyone else convinced that he was a whole different person.

"Whatever," Vic finally said. He turned his back on Nigredo and started to walk away. "If you're not the Ghost Duelist, this is a waste of time." He walked through the hologram of his facedown card on his way off the field.

But something stopped him a few feet later. When he tried to pass the hologram of the Transmutation Circle, he found some invisible wall. Every time he poked, prodded, and punched the field, a black stream of energy rippled through the air like the surface of water.

"What's going on?" Vic asked.

"Oh, bother," Nigredo moaned. "Transmutation Circle – Nigredo has already begun the blackening process. Neither of us can leave the field until the process completes. That means we're stuck here together."

"That's messed up," Vic grumbled. He spent another eighty seconds pounding on the invisible transmutation circle, trying to find the way out of it. "Are you freaking kidding me?" He growled softly, then huffed loudly as he composed himself. He stepped back up to his previous position and squared off against Nigredo with a confident look on his face. "Alright, ya weenie. You want to duel that badly? Let's rumble."

"Okay. I guess we're still on the next step of Transmutation Circle – Nigredo: We pick up the top cards on our decks and remove them from play to fuel the blackening process." He picked up a card and showed Vic: "I lose Worm King."

"That's a good card," Vic commented. "That's a tough one to have removed from play."

"It's just as well. I probably couldn't use it right, anyway."

Vic made a face and said, "Yeah, whatever." He picked up his top card. "Aw, man. Elemental Mistress Doriado; my rarest card."

"That usually happens with Transmutation Circles." He paused for a solid thirty seconds before making a move. "I'll set a monster and end my turn."

"That's it? You are the slowest duelist I have ever seen." Vic drew his next card, eager to end the duel quickly. "I'll summon Gaia Soul the Combustible Collective (Fire-4/2000/0)." Flames popped up all along the field, and each of them drew toward a single spot on Vic's field, hardening as they gathered. When all flames created a single mound, an eye opened in the middle and perused the field.

Suddenly the air around Element Dragon began to burn, while still kicking up extra wind energy. "With the addition of a fire monster on the field, Element Dragon (+2000) gains 500 points. Now my supercharged dragon will attack your monster!" The pink dragon lumbered to Nigredo's field again and bit into the hidden monster, exhaling a burst of fire with it.

The monster that revealed itself was Worm Hope (1/800/1500), a small, white humanoid with no discernible face. "My monster couldn't measure up," Nigredo noted in his dry tone. "It's not a real surprise, though. When it flips, I draw a card. When it's sent to the Graveyard, I discard a card." He picked up a card from his deck, stared at it for a moment longer than any other duelist would, then placed a card in his Graveyard.

"God, you're boring," Vic muttered. "Element Dragon (2000) still gets the effect of a wind monster on the field, so now he'll attack you directly." The air around the dragon turned to sharp blades of wind, but each carried with it an extra flame as it struck Nigredo. "And Gaia Soul (2000) also gets to attack directly." The giant ball of molten rock turned again into fire and hit Nigredo's field; the scattered flames reassembled on Vic's field. "I'll set one more card and end my turn."

And then Element Dragon turned black. It wasn't that shadows overtook the monster; its body simply turned pitch black and the monster turned to ash.

"What the hell?"

"Blame the Transmutation Circle," Nigredo said. "In your End Phase, it destroys any monster that battled this turn and deals that monster's attack points as damage to the controller. It's bothersome, I know, but that's how the effect works."

"Troublesome is an understatement," Vic growled. "At least Gaia Soul is destroyed by its own effect at the end of the turn, and I get to decide the order of effects on the field. Your Nigredo circle doesn't get both my monsters."

Vic 8000 – 2000 = 6000: Nigredo 6500 – 2000 – 2000 = 2500.

"I guess it's my turn again," Nigredo said as he drew.

Immediately Vic activated one of his facedown cards. "Dust Tornado ought to even things out. It destroys any Spell or Trap on the field, and I pick Transmutation Circle – Nigredo!" A large whirlwind spewed from the card and began whipping across the field. It pushed up against the black ring for a moment, but then the wind dissipated without destroying anything.

"Transmutation Circles can't be destroyed. I'm actually a little surprised."

"What kind of crap is this? First your card creates some kind of force field, and now it can't be destroyed unless the duel ends? This is a load of crap. As soon as this duel ends, Abel and I are kicking your ass."

From outside the ring, Abel said, "I don't know if he's lucid enough to notice. He seems so depressed, he's probably numb from the neck down."

Nigredo just stood in silence for a moment. "Maybe you're right." He resumed standing without doing anything.

Feeling a shiver from the snow and the associated temperature, Vic finally shouted, "Hurry up and make a move, dumbass!"

"Okay. I'll play Viper's Rebirth to summon Worm Ugly (1/100/100) from my Graveyard." (Because all the monsters in Nigredo's Graveyard were reptiles, he was able to summon one of them.) Although it didn't resemble a worm, this monster was indeed ugly. It resembled a purple ball of snot with a round mouth directly between its eyes. "I'll probably send this monster away to summon Worm Warlord (6/2350/1800)." This one was a much bigger monster, but still wasn't very worm-like, except maybe in Picasso's sketch book: Its orange torso was symmetrical from the middle, where the mouth was, with one eye on either end of the body; a three-toed foot grew from each of two sides, and a powerful fist grew from the top and the bottom of the torso. It was arguably uglier than the previous monster.

Speaking of which, Nigredo pointed out, "Offering Worm Ugly (100) as a Tribute causes it to be summoned on your side of the field in attack mode." The snotball returned, but this time it left slimy residue on Vic's field. "I suppose Worm Warlord will attack now." The odd creature ambled across the field and planted its topside fist on top of the Worm Ugly. "It's a little like your Element Dragon was; when it destroys a monster in battle, it gets to attack again." Worm Warlord took another swing, this time hitting Vic directly. "I'll put a card face down and end my turn."

Vic 6000 – 2250 – 2350 = 1400: Nigredo 2500.

"Hey!" Vic pointed threateningly at the field. "How come your monster didn't get destroyed during your turn?"

"I wonder why," Nigredo said. "Maybe the Transmutation Circle only activates during your End Phase."

"That's a load of crap. What a stacked card." He roughly pulled his next card from the deck. "I'll summon Senju of the Ten Thousand Hands (4/1400/1000)." His monster was a card version of the Thousand Hands Buddha, with fifteen visible hands in holographic form. One of those hands held a Ritual monster. "Senju lets me take Elemental Mistress Doriado from my deck." He smirked and made a comment about how she was his rarest card, but that didn't mean he only had one. "When I activate Doriado's Blessing and sacrifice Senju (4), I can Ritual Summon Elemental Mistress Doriado (3/1200/1400)." His card appeared as an attractive, blonde priestess wearing blue robes and a red headdress. "I know she looks weak, but when I activate my card Fuh-Rin-Ka-Zan, your monster gets destroyed!"

Vic's Trap only activated in the presence of a monster of each attribute: fire, water, wind, and earth. Doriado's effect gave her the attribute of all four to complement her light attribute. Her body began to shine with the combined energy of all four elements, and the energy burst forth to destroy Nigredo's ugly monster.

"Now I'll play Fusion Weapon." One of Doriado's arms mutated into a small cannon. "This increases her power by 1500 points because she's a low level. And you know what that means, right? Get him, Doriado (+2700)!"

As Doriado aimed her arm cannon, Nigredo moaned and shook his head. Three robed women—the women of Waboku—appeared on the field and deflected Doriado's attack.

"I'm lucky this turn," Nigredo admitted. "Not everyone is. Honestly, I'm surprised things ended this way."

Slowly, Vic's priestess turned black and turned to ash, burning away his Life Points.

Vic 1400 – 2700 = 0: Nigredo 2500.

The black circle encompassing the field began to spin rapidly and Vic felt the energy build. Suddenly the circle burst and faded from sight, just like that.

"What happened?" Ty asked. Vic looked around for an answer, but even Nigredo disappeared.

"Where'd he go?" Abel asked. "And how'd he get away so quickly?"

Vic was just annoyed that he lost a duel because of a card he'd never heard of that stacked the odds tremendously against him. It wasn't fair, but at least now the duel was over and nobody had to know anything happened, unless Matt blabbed his big mouth.

"I wonder how he got that made-up card to work," Vic muttered as he put his deck back together in his Duel Disk. There was one problem, though: Both copies of Elemental Mistress Doriado were gone. "Hey! That jerk took my cards!"

Now he was really angry.

* * *

_That was fun, although it came out longer than I expected. I like this style better. We'll see if I can keep it up for three consecutive chapters._

_I hope everyone enjoyed the duel. Considering I only made up one card (intentionally, anyway), I will list it here (I'll list the rest at the end of this story arc):_

Transmutation Circle – Nigredo  
Continuous Spell Card  
"This card cannot be destroyed by card effects. During the End Phase of your opponent's turn, destroy any monsters that battled this turn and inflict damage to the card's controller equal to the monster's ATK."

_Next time, we'll listen as everyone discusses the similarities between Ouroboros and Nigredo._

_Credits:_  
_Darius Mantzios...tiramisu19_  
_Jason Maxim...Maxim and Knight_  
_Nathan Zislaw...Mavrik Zero_  
_Hillary Delaney...Nodqfan144_  
_Lili Von...Happy2BMe_  
_Carter Jade...Jaden2010  
Mitsuro Itachu...Titanic X  
Sean Bivins...DarkVestroia2_  
_Naoto Kurotsuki...Kurotsuki Haru_  
_Hayley Wilson...TeamRocketDiva_  
_Maikeru Stone...onyxshade7  
Victor Rocks & __Abel Shinzou...Iron-Arm-V_  
_Alister Kazama & Jessica Parks...ZaneKazama001_  
_Synthia Spencer...Madly Chessur_  
_Leila & Linear Lockhart...Windraider_  
_Romulus Malligan...Maximus1  
Logan Wilson...MercWithTheMouth13_  
_Everyone else so far...YamiRuss_


	20. When It Rains

Chapter 20: When It Rains…

There just weren't enough hours in the day for some people. Matt found himself thinking that more often these days. He'd wake up in the morning perfectly confident that everything on his To-Do list would be finished by the rigid deadlines he set for himself, but more often than not, he found himself working a little longer than he intended to just to make sure some project was going to be completed by the actual deadline Dr. West set.

But something happened recently that freed up an average of one hour per day. Rory approached Matt about spending time teaching her better ways to use her Cyber Dragons, and she brought with her a willingness to pay him in either money or in time spent doing his work. It wasn't long ago that Rory confessed her appreciation for Matt, which made the whole situation a little weird for him. He couldn't take any money from her without feeling like a prostitute; that much was certain.

The real crisis came from the fact that Kasumi didn't want him spending any time with Rory _at all_. Matt wished that he wanted to respect her wishes, but he liked Rory and he liked spending time with her as a friend. And the assistance she offered him in completing projects throughout the week helped him rationalize ignoring Kasumi's request. In exchange for training and practice, Rory helped Matt do an hour's worth of research each day, which ultimately equated into a free hour every day for Matt to spend with Kasumi. Overall, it was a winning situation for everyone.

Rory arrived at ten o'clock to Matt's office—more a glorified closet, really. The office was only big enough for a computer desk, with a computer and a chair, and a file cabinet. As important as it was for Dr. West to have an assistant, it wasn't necessary to give him a lot of space. Matt also managed to squeeze a small couch into the room for his visitors. Rory always brought her laptop with her and piggybacked on the building's wireless network.

"I can't believe I suckered you into doing work for me," Matt joked to Rory when she got set up.

She just smiled back at him. "You lost on the deal. I was willing to do twice as much work for you, but you settled for one hour."

"I already feel bad asking you to do some of my work for me."

"I like spending time with you," she reminded him, "even if we're just doing research." She smiled at him, an action which he felt compelled to return. They locked stares for a moment too long, and Matt had to clear his throat to convince himself back to work. He sent Rory an email with the information he needed her to find for him—mostly a few articles to read and summarize—and got to work assembling lectures for Dr. West's class the next week. If all went as scheduled, he would be ready to proofread Dr. West's manuscript when Rory left. He would grab a quick lunch at noon, and he didn't have class until two-thirty. Class ended at five, and so he'd grab dinner with friends, then head over to the Yellow Dorm to spend some time with Kasumi.

Brief distractions were pretty common, though. Mitsuro was the first person to pop her head in the door.

"Hey, Mitsy. What's up?"

She noticed Rory sitting comfortably on the couch and asked, "What's she doing here? Does Kas know?"

Matt defensively replied, "I'm helping her learn to use her cards better. In exchange, she's just here to help me out a little with work."

"Oh, I see," Mitsuro said with a grin. "She does all your work for you." Rory liked that assessment; Matt channeled Tim Allen.

"She's my assistant. She assists _me_. Now what do you want?"

"I just came to ask about seeing your notes for Advanced Duel Techniques."

Rory's eyes widened with surprise. "You're already taking that? You're only a sophomore!"

Matt shrugged. "So? I wanted to mix things up a little. And there was an opening."

She was still impressed that he was able to take a senior level course already. But there was one question she had for Mitsuro: "It's only the first week; how far behind can you be?"

Mitsuro looked at Rory like she was a four-year-old who didn't understand the way the world works. "You haven't had a class with Dr. Apple, have you? He has a habit of only ever saying things in class one time, and he can roll off on tangents while expecting you to remember every little, insignificant thing he says. The only thing he ever repeats is the roll call, and even that he only does for the first week."

"Sounds tough," Rory agreed.

"It's a major pain. If you even blink, you might miss something. So to counter the inordinate level of difficulty Dr. Apple, I've decided to ask other people for their notes and consolidate them with mine."

"I'm not so bad." Dr. Apple appeared in the doorway behind Mitsuro, who sheepishly moved to sit on the arm of the couch. "But I approve of your strategy to do well."

Dr. Oscar Apple was the tallest and lankiest of the professors. His dark hair and eyes made him an attractive man despite the bald spot atop his head—his height helped to hide it from common view. What really stood out about him was his seemingly air-headed nature. Oftentimes he would go off on tangents as if possessed by a brain that never stopped churning at full speed. He was generally sociable and clownish, sometimes oblivious, but he was generally well liked. Except for the tests in his classes.

"Hi, McIntosh," Matt said with a smile. "What can I do for _you_?"

"I like that. I just need a little favor," Dr. Apple replied, fully aware that Matt was starting to get overwhelmed and that McIntosh is a type of Apple. "I need someone to cover Duel History on Monday while I'm out of town."

"That's my class," Rory pointed out. It was a nine o'clock class, but she didn't mind because she was already awake for her eight o'clock class. But thanks to Mitsuro, she had an idea what to expect throughout the semester. Mitsuro shot her a dirty look for letting her talk bad about Dr. Apple's classes when he was close by.

"Yes, it is. So you can see why I wouldn't ask you to be in charge," Dr. Apple agreed. "I just need you to show a video for the one class. I'll be back for my afternoon class. My plane will probably be a little late coming back after my weekend off. I've already informed Dr. West what I need you to do. Plus, I figure you might enjoy logging an hour of time sitting and watching a movie instead of doing more mounds of research. Is that a problem for you?"

"No. If Dr. West is okay with your taking some of my time, I'm okay with it."

"Is it a good movie?" Rory asked curiously.

Dr. Apple replied, "Well, it's no _Casablanca_, but you'll learn something important from it."

"In other words, it will be on the test," Mitsuro interpreted.

"Isn't that what I just said?" He looked ready to leave the office when he saw someone he recognized. "Oh, speaking of not understanding what I'm saying, I wonder if I could speak to you, Mr. Rocks, when you get a chance. Just stop by my office. I'll be there all day. Well, not _all_ day. Well, maybe until lunch. Um… Maybe I'll just email you." With a big smile, he waved to everyone in the room and hall and said, "Take care, all."

With one less person in Matt's office now, Vic Rocks came storming in with his crew close in tow. He looked pretty upset as he slammed his open hands on Matt's desk, prompting Rory and Matt both to flinch.

"I want my cards back, you depressing lunatic," Vic growled. As he glared at Matt, his eyes slowly drifted to Matt's head of medium-length, brown hair. "What happened to your hair?"

"It's called shampoo," Matt replied. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"That duel we had out in the woods?"

"Why were you dueling in the woods?" Rory asked. Matt shrugged. Abel sat down next to Rory in a less-than-subtle way of catching her attention. She wasn't shy and didn't move from her comfortable position.

"We were looking for the Ghost Duelist," Abel answered for her.

Matt laughed. "Isn't the Ghost Duelist just some rumor started by the Tweedledee and Tweedledum over there?" pointing to Ty and Clyde.

"You would know," Vic snarled, "seeing as you _are_ the Ghost Duelist!"

Matt looked confused, but Rory looked excited. "Are you really? Is that why you rarely duel anyone anymore?"

"You know how I like to avoid the spotlight," Matt joked. "Why claim credit for beating everyone in a duel when I can hide?" When Vic didn't move, Matt got serious and remembered what happened the previous semester. "Did you really lose a card to someone who looks like I do?"

"You're going to claim it wasn't you?"

"I am. I didn't steal from Maikeru and Sean, and I didn't steal from you." Suddenly his cheerful expression gave way to a more sullen one. "But someone else did. By any chance, did he play a card called Ouroboros?"

"No," Vic replied. "_You_ used some freaky card called Nigredo."

"You also called yourself Nigredo," Abel pointed out. "Although I have to admit, you look a lot bulkier in the office than you did in the woods."

"It's the fluorescent lighting," Matt remarked. Moving back on topic, he asked Vic, "He used a card called Nigredo? I've never heard of that card."

"Sure," Vic huffed. "I'm getting annoyed with you giving me the run-around like this. Give me back my cards and I won't have to break your desk." Matt told him that wasn't much of a threat. "With your face."

"Slightly more threatening," Matt agreed. He looked to Rory. "You don't need to be here for this. We can catch up later."

Rory shook her head. "I want to see where this goes." Matt laughed and shook his head, not upset with Rory but amazed at how she acted the same way he and Bryan probably would.

Finally, Matt told Vic, "I promise you I was not the one who took your card. But if you are willing to meet up later, I would like to figure out who it was. It sounds like this might be the same look-alike who stole from Maikeru and Sean last semester."

"Look-alike," Vic scoffed. "Likely excuse. What kind of person could possibly look _that_ much like you and not _be_ you?"

"A brother?" Rory suggested.

Abel quickly added, "Someone with just the right makeup."

Clyde offered, "Genetic clone."

Matt motioned to the others and said, "See? Lots of good possibilities." Then he looked at Clyde with a puzzled look and added, "Except the clone thing. That's kind of stupid." Vic agreed; that was unlikely. Actually, all scenarios were unlikely; he was still unconvinced of Matt's innocence.

"I remember what the guy looked like," Abel said certainly, "and his arms weren't that big." He pointed to the sleeves of Matt's T-shirt, which were short enough to show off the subcutaneous tennis balls Matt called "biceps." "Now that I look more closely, it was really only the face that looked the same. That brown hair looks natural." Vic argued that Matt could easily dye his hair in a short amount of time, but he had to admit that no one could gain that much muscle mass in a day.

"Fine. I'll take Abel's word for now, but we're going to figure out who this guy is or else your ass is mine."

"Get in line," Matt muttered, thinking he was being funny about the situation with Kasumi and Rory. When no one laughed, he realized that was rather tasteless.

Matt was simply confused about the entire situation. The winter break produced no evidence of any brothers, but now there were two reports of a guy who looked just like him. Maikeru and Sean dueled together against a man they described as having multiple personalities; he switched between a calm, rather spacey persona and an intense, callous persona. He called himself Ouroboros and he dueled easily on Matt's level. Darius still considered it luck that he managed to defeat Ouroboros in a duel.

The look-alike introduced himself to Vic's posse yesterday as Nigredo. Vic agreed with the assessment that Nigredo was a good duelist, but he only got lucky against Vic. His cards weren't especially fast or powerful, but they just happened to work out the way they needed to in order to beat Vic's Element cards. Actually, it was just one card that beat him: Transmutation Circle – Nigredo. The effects of that card were so stacked it's amazing the Duel Disks didn't reject it as a fake card.

But the real confusing thing was: Was there really just one look-alike? Vic used the word "depressing," but Darius said the guy he dueled was psychotic. Although both described mental disorders, the differences were too vast to be explained by simple misspeak. Depression is marked by weak mood and aversion to activity; psychosis is marked by loss of reality. And Vic mentioned black hair. When Maikeru's and Sean's cards were stolen, the suspect looked exactly like Matt; why would the other guy suddenly change his hair color? Was it an effort to throw everyone else off the trail? It seemed like a really weak effort.

"It sounds like one guy going through puberty," Rory suggested.

"What makes you think this is one guy?" Matt asked.

She explained, "You say this first guy had split personalities, but the person Darius described sounded just like any kid who has less impulse control. He sounds like a little kid who gets angry whenever something doesn't go his way. Maybe he finally grew up a little and has seasonal affective disorder." She added for the sake of anyone who didn't catch it, "That's just a fancy way of saying, 'winter bums him out.'" Ty's and Clyde's expressions changed to understanding.

"That seems like an awful lot of growing up in a short time," Abel said. Glancing at Vic out of the corner of his eye, he commented, "It seems unrealistic because some people _never_ grow up."

"Bite me," Vic snapped.

Mitsuro suggested, "Aren't you guys familiar with Occam's Razor?"

"Is that the eight-blade razor Gillette just came out with?" Matt answered mockingly.

"Uh… No. It's a principle that basically says explanations should not be needlessly complicated. In essence, the simplest solution is probably the correct one. All I'm saying is the odds are much better of there being one guy who looks like Matt and has a few mental issues than two identical guys who each happen to fit criteria for a specific mental disorder."

"Well," Matt replied eloquently. "I have to admit, that's true." The odds of one other person on the island being a dead ringer for Matt were incredibly slim; the odds of there being two were astronomical.

"What about motive?" Rory pointed out. "There's got to be some reason this guy—or these guys—are dueling at all hours out in the cold."

Vic replied, "He's stealing rare cards."

"That's a behavior—not a motive," Matt said. "Is it a game for him? Does he enjoy the challenge? Maybe he's performing some ritual to awaken a long-lost god that will bring peace to the world."

Mitsuro's theory was much simpler. "Maybe he just wants to steal a bunch of rare cards. He got Maikeru's Plaguespreader Zombie, Sean's Tempest Magician, and Vic's Elemental Mistress Doriado. None of them is unique, but they are all very rare."

"Do you think there's a pattern?" Abel suggested. "They took a tuner, a Synchro, and a Ritual monster. Maybe they're after a Fusion monster next."

"No," Matt argued. "The card Ouroboros wanted from Darius was Gravekeeper's Visionary. It's a regular effect monster, although a rare one." He took a moment and looked to Rory as if to warn her that he was about to share something embarrassing and wanted to read her reaction. "He might have some kind of… magic… though." He seemed in pain just suggesting that. "The whole thing with these Transmutation Circles coincidentally locating your rarest cards reminds me vaguely of the situation last year." Everyone remembered that; even Rory heard the stories, though they had little evidence.

Last year, Professor Maya Kawamura of the Yellow Dorm used the Egyptian Gods and the Sacred Beasts in contest with the Wicked Gods to open the way into the Shadow Realm, a higher plane of existence filled with the energy of the gods. In order to open the gate, the God Cards needed to feed on the energy of the Guardian Duelers—the strongest duelists who held each card—and on the energy of all the duelists who were beaten by a God Card. When Maya obtained all that energy, she ascended and became a god.

Or so the rumors went. What was undeniable was the sickness and fear that spread across the island while the Shadow Realm opened. If not for Bryan and Matt, and the professors of Duel Academy, the Shadows might still be present.

"Was she really one of the professors?" Rory asked.

"Yes," Matt assured her. "She's the one Dr. Houtz was hired to replace."

Clyde suddenly made a suggestion: "What if she's like the professors in _Harry Potter_?"

Mitsuro pointed at him with her thumb while saying, "Did anybody understand that?"

Abel interpreted. "He's talking about the fact that the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was always the bad guy, or generally cursed in some way. I think he's suggesting that Dr. Houtz could be responsible for these Transmutation Circle cards."

"That's a hell of a leap," Matt suggested, "but I suppose we can always ask her just to see if she knows something. As far as getting more help: Have you guys told any of the police about what you saw yet?"

"I don't need the police to kick your ass and take my card back," Vic replied.

"Great. Maybe you should tell them so they'll know this guy is still out there." Looking into Vic's eye, he suddenly said, "Wait." He looked past Vic to Abel. "Maybe _you_ should tell them instead." Abel laughed and gave Vic a hard time about being so useless and impulsive. Vic threatened to beat him up, too.

"What were you guys doing so far off campus, anyway?" Mitsuro asked, ever the diligent RA.

Vic more calmly answered, "We were looking to see where Hayley hangs out at night."

"Hayley Wilson?" Rory confirmed. "Is she the one everybody says is hot but psychotic? The one in permanent PMS mode?"

"You shouldn't believe every rumor you hear," Matt scolded her. "But yeah, that's true."

Suddenly Lucy Mercer's head popped into view in the doorway. Lucy tended to stand out in a crowd because she had one of the prettiest faces imaginable, even when she was wearing exceptionally large sunglasses. Her face was perfectly symmetrical with high cheek bones and an oval shape. Her brown eyes were beautiful and relaxing to perceive, and her long hair added to her gorgeous appearance.

"Oh, sorry," she said. "You're busy. I'll come back."

"It's okay," Abel told her. "We're leaving." He got up from the couch and pushed Ty and Clyde into the hall. Ty tripped over nothing as he tried to walk away while staring at Lucy, enchanted by her beauty. "It's no wonder you guys are such a hit with the ladies." Vic wasn't as verbal on the way out, but he did point angrily at Matt as a reminder of his threat. He made a point of checking out Lucy on his way down the hall, but only for a brief glance. It was a common mistake to think Lucy was overweight, mostly because she wore clothing intended for someone the size of Robert DeNiro. She was a bit larger than other women, but she was proportionate. Wearing baggy clothes was her way of hiding her assets. Shy as she was about her appearance, she never even removed her jacket except on rare occasion with those closest to her, such as roommates, and Matt on occasion at the Guardian House the previous year.

Mitsuro quietly stepped toward the door. "I guess I'll leave, too." She pointed at Matt and asked, "Get your notes from you this evening?" Matt agreed they'd see one another back at the dorm. With that, Mitsurp slipped out of the office.

"Do you need me to step out, too?" Rory offered kindly.

"How close are you to Jason?"

"Not very."

She already knew that. Dating Jason for nearly a semester helped Lucy get to know Jason's close friends. "You can stay if you're willing to keep this conversation between us."

"My lips are sealed."

Lucy actually liked Rory. She was a sweet girl and a lot of fun to spend time with, and she made it clear lately that she was not shy. There was a lot to admire about a self-confidence girl like that.

Lucy closed the door so no one else would overhear. Then she sat down on the couch and leaned forward to talk softly, never removing the sunglasses she wore. "Did you talk to Bryan?"

Matt did, but he wasn't especially eager to share the conversation. "He thinks seeing other people will do you both some good." Before she could put up any kind of fight against a statement he disagreed with, Matt added, "But aren't you both already doing that?"

The way she stared at Matt told him that wasn't what she wanted to hear. She wanted to hear that Bryan really wanted to get back together but was just scared that she moved on already. The last thing she wanted was to hear that Bryan was moving on without her. Finally she let out a low, frustrated groan.

Not wanting to continue the awkward silence, Matt suggested, "Have you considered seducing him?" That made her blush intensely.

Rory reached up and patted her back. "You could just come out and tell him how you feel." She winked at Matt. "I feel better after doing it."

"We're not all so bold," Lucy admitted. She just leaned back on the couch and sat there for a minute. Either she was sorting through all the thoughts she had, hoping that they would magically order themselves in the form of an answer, or she was waiting for Matt to say something that would also, magically make things better.

Matt noticed that Lucy seemed slightly out of character. "Did something happen?"

Lucy just sighed, not sure exactly how to start her brief story. "Well…"

* * *

"_I'm telling you," Jason said. "That girl's life is so terribly boring she has to invent reasons to get mad at other people. What other reason is there to get mad at someone as perfect as you?"_

_Lucy just smiled. "Maybe because you keep telling people I'm perfect."_

"_I just call it like I see it."_

"_Ah. Nice try, sweet talker. But I'm still not telling you what Cary said about you. You really don't want to hear it, anyway. She's not a very nice person." Jason didn't say anything in reply. She interpreted the silence as Jason's sulking. "Oh, don't start that phony silent treatment."_

_As she turned to look at him and scold him face-to-face, she flinched wildly when she found Jason on the ground with a rag over his mouth. Someone dressed all in black and wearing a ski mask held Jason pinned until he passed out from the chloroform suppressing his central nervous system. As soon as he did, the masked man—obvious from his body shape—gently set Jason on the ground before standing and approaching Lucy aggressively._

"_Who are you? What do you want?"_

_His voice came out in a low rumble, like someone purposefully straining his voice to disguise it. "Lucy Mercer. You are guilty of stringing this poor man along. You steal his attention and affection while cheating on him with another man."_

"_I'm not cheating on Jason. What are you saying?"_

"_It's the same thing!" the man growled. "You keep him close but you don't care about him! It's the heartless nature of women that drives you, but now I'm going to free him from your rotten control."_

_Lucy almost panicked on the spot, thinking she was about to be attacked, but the man simply activated a Duel Disk; against the surprise she felt, she hadn't noticed it at first. She activated her own and watched the duel field set itself._

_The Duel Disks quickly shifted to Lucy's challenger. "I'll play Gold Sarcophagus to remove Necroface from play." A golden case bearing the Eye of Wedjet on the front and two golden eagles on top appeared on the field. The lid slid open, a card showing a picture of Necroface slipped inside, and the lid slid back in place, sealing the card away for two turns. Because Necroface was removed from play, both players had to remove from play the top five cards from their decks. "Now summon Armageddon Knight (4/1400/1200)." This was a man clad in iron armor, bearing a saber in one arm and a wire shield in the other, wearing aviator goggles over his eyes and a torn scarf covering his face. Upon summoning, the Armageddon Knight slashed the deck to send a dark monster straight to the Graveyard: Mystic Tomato._

_A facedown card appeared just above the ground. "Take your turn, wench."_

_Lucy didn't understand the aggression this man held toward her. But she hoped he would follow the code of a duelist—losing should make him leave her alone._

"_I'll play Magical Citadel of Endymion." A large, decorative castle with a mighty keep in the center and empty towers at each juncture appeared on Lucy's side of the field. A ring of magical energy continued to surround the castle like a bubble. "Now I'll summon Silent Magician (4/1000/1000)." Her magician was young and short, with white and blue robes and a small scepter in hand. "Now I'll place one card face down and activate Card Destruction." Both players discarded their hands and drew new cards. As they did, Silent Magician (+1500) grew when her scepter absorbed a spell counter. Additionally, a spell counter lit up on Lucy's Citadel (1). "Now I'll play Spell Power Grasp." A flash of light on the field preceded Silent Magician's (+2000) scepter absorbing another Spell Counter alongside the Citadel (2). As a bonus, Lucy got to retrieve a second Spell Power Grasp from her deck, though she couldn't play it._

"_I'll send my Magician to attack."_

_Her attacker sprung a trap. "Magic Cylinder will redirect your attack right back at yourself." Two tubes appeared on the field; while one absorbed the magic emitted from Silent Magician's scepter, the other fired the energy right back at Lucy._

_Lucy weathered the attack just fine. "I'll set two cards."_

_Lucy 8000 – 2000 = 6000: ? 8000._

_As soon as her opponent drew, Lucy's Silent Magician (+2500) absorbed another spell counter and grew once again. He was unfazed, though. "I'll summon Prometheus, King of the Shadows (4/1200/800)." This monster wore a gold breastplate over a shadowy body, and the crimson-shaded, hooded cloak on his back billowed in the night like a crackling fire. The Graveyard lit up, and with the removal of six dark-attribute monsters, Prometheus (+3200) grew stronger. Then it lunged forward._

"_Activate Hand Destruction," Lucy said. "But before that, I'll play Greed." Greed was a Continuous Trap that made it rain gold whenever a player drew outside the Draw Phase, but the gold was merely pyrite—fool's gold—and it came down in heavy chunks to deduct Life Points. Hand Destruction forced both players to discard two cards and draw two new ones; each was then struck by two chunks of pyrite, but Silent Magician (+3000) absorbed a fourth spell counter._

"_It's not enough." Prometheus's shadows spread over the field and swallowed the Silent Magician. When her scepter broke, all the energy flew into Lucy's Citadel of Endymion (7). Armageddon Knight (1400) quickly lunged and took advantage of Lucy's open field._

"_Now I'll play The Shallow Grave." A mist grew from the dirt on either side of the field, allowing both players to revive a monster facedown from the Graveyard._

_Lucy 6000 – 1000 – 200 – 1400 = 3400: ? 8000 – 1000 = 7000._

_Lucy chose to revive Magical Plant Mandragola (2/500/200), a spellcasting plant with a useful Flip Effect, given the right setup. "I'll summon Maiden of Macabre (4/1700/0)," a courtesan with pale skin, elaborate robes, and a scythe in her hands. "Now I'll flip Mandragola (500)." The wicked plant monster, with sharp teeth and a humanoid form, cast a spell to give a spell counter to every card capable of holding one, including Macabre (+1900) and the Citadel of Endymion (9). The Maiden swung her scythe and cut clean through Prometheus (-1200), whose points returned to normal after the last turn. Wordlessly, Lucy set one more card._

_Lucy 3400: ? 7000 – 700 = 6300._

_Her opponent wasn't worried when the Maiden of Macabre (+2100) gained another spell counter for destroying a monster. He already had a plan: "I'll summon Necroface (4/+2700/1800)." The same broken doll's head with the organism growing inside appeared on the field, this time more opaque and much bigger. For an effect, it returned all removed-from-play cards to the deck and gained 100 points per card. The creature's tentacles oozed forward and squeezed Maiden of Macabre until she broke. Next, Armageddon Knight (1200) moved to strike Mandragola (500)._

"_Activate Magical Dimension." A sarcophagus entombed Lucy's plant-like monster, but then it opened to reveal Magical Exemplar (4/1700/1400), a woman wearing green robes and Egyptian Gold jewelry. The energy released by the opening sarcophagus also destroyed Necroface._

_Lucy's dark opponent switched both monsters to defense mode and ended his turn, knowing that as soon as Lucy attacked Morphing Jar and he got the opportunity to play Soul Release and Dimension Fusion, he'd swarm the field and end the duel._

"_I'll summon Night's End Sorcerer (2/1300/400)." This monster was a short, pale-skinned boy wearing black clothes and a torn cape and wielding a large scythe. Suddenly he pressed the scythe up against Lucy's Magical Exemplar (4), and the two monsters began to resonate in tune. The sound waves merged the two monsters into Tempest Magician (6/2200/1400), a woman wearing blue robes and Egyptian Gold and wielding a large scythe in her hands. Simply by being summoned, she gained a spell counter in her scythe._

"_When I remove the spell counters from Tempest Magician (1) and Citadel of Endymion (12), you take 500 points of damage for each." Tempest Magician swung her scythe and released a powerful beam of energy that struck her opponent directly._

_Lucy 3400: ? 6300 – 6500 = 0._

* * *

"What happened next?" Rory didn't like the suspense.

She shrugged. "Nothing. He left, Jason woke up, and I took him home."

"Just like that?" Matt asked. The look in his eye said he knew she was hiding something. "All that effort to knock Jason out, and he just runs away when you beat him in a card game?" He did not believe in the apparent tradition of treating card duels on the same level as jousting. If someone was sufficiently angry with Lucy, he would hurt her either way.

"Take off the sunglasses."

Lucy looked shocked. "What?"

Matt repeated the request. "Let me see your eyes."

She was very slow about it, but Lucy lifted the glasses and pulled them from her face, revealing the smooth skin and perfectly round cheeks that made her so pretty. She wasn't black and blue, and she wasn't even swollen.

"Okay," Matt said, softly acknowledging her apparent health. He stood and gave her a brief kiss on the cheek. "The best way to change things is to talk them out with the people involved. Go talk to Bryan."

She sighed and gave a little nod. "Yeah, yeah." She patted Rory on the knee and wished her a good day. Lucy has a class before too long, and she wanted to spend a little time thinking about her situation with Bryan and Jason. With that, she left the room.

The devilish grin on Rory's face almost compelled Matt to ask what she was thinking. "With how often you get interrupted and distracted, I see now why my _one_ hour of work saves you _two_ hours of work."

As Lucy left the building, she couldn't help touching the collar of her blue jacket. The firm material hid the bruise on her skin. The sunglasses distracted Matt, just like she thought they would.

_

* * *

When the holograms faded and the Duel Disks shut down, Lucy thought the man might leave. Instead, he lunged, moving swiftly and silently through the darkness. He grabbed her arm and pulled it behind her back, squeezing her neck with his other hand. He held her close as he growled softly in her ear:_

"_Women like you are pure evil."_

_Just as the pressure on her neck increased so much she couldn't scream, Lucy suddenly felt the pressure fade. It took her almost two full minutes to stop wheezing. That's when she was able to see who saved her. Standing only five and a half feet tall and with a moderate build was Michael Potter, the youngest member of the campus police force. He was on duty and dressed in his police blues, and he smartly kept his hands off of Lucy, though he held them as if to support her._

"_Are you okay?"_

_She managed a nod and a vague, "Uh huh." She looked around but didn't see her assailant. "Where'd he go?"_

"_He ran off when he saw me," Pat. Potter replied. He stepped away from Lucy to ask about Jason. Lucy told him what happened. "I see. I'll take you to your dorm and take him to the clinic to have him checked out. Are you sure you're okay?"_

"_I'm fine," Lucy assured him._

"_Okay. Don't worry. We'll find this guy."_

_

* * *

_

###

_I had to use the double line to make sure you know the chapter is over. The average length is growing, I've noticed. Maybe that means the rest of this arc won't drag out so long. On a similar note, this thing with Lucy and her attacker is something of a side story (a filler, as it were), but it will be the best way for me to get a few characters more involved who might otherwise never duel, it will connect to the main story, and it will be an interesting side quest, I think-not like the Bount arc, which didn't make any sense._

_The next chapter will revisit Nigredo and someone with a grudge against Matt._

_(On a more personal note: Does anyone have advice for me for getting a blog started? I have a topic already; I just want suggestions how to get started. If anyone is willing, please send me a PM.)  
_

_Credits:_  
_Darius Mantzios...tiramisu19_  
_Jason Maxim...Maxim and Knight_  
_Nathan Zislaw...Mavrik Zero_  
_Hillary Delaney...Nodqfan144_  
_Lili Von...Happy2BMe_  
_Carter Jade...Jaden2010  
Mitsuro Itachu...Titanic X  
Sean Bivins...DarkVestroia2_  
_Naoto Kurotsuki...Kurotsuki Haru_  
_Hayley Wilson...TeamRocketDiva_  
_Maikeru Stone...onyxshade7  
Victor Rocks & __Abel Shinzou...Iron-Arm-V_  
_Alister Kazama & Jessica Parks...ZaneKazama001_  
_Synthia Spencer...Madly Chessur_  
_Leila & Linear Lockhart...Windraider_  
_Romulus Malligan...Maximus1  
Logan Wilson...MercWithTheMouth13_  
_Everyone else so far...YamiRuss_


	21. The Ultimate Forbidden Card

Chapter 21: The Ultimate Forbidden Card

Area duels happened every other day on campus. From 1:25 p.m. to 2:55 every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during every semester, no one had classes on their schedules. That time was given to area duels in hopes that students would attend the duels and learn from observing one another. Attendance at the duels was not always required, but some classes had certain requirements as part of the grade; for example, Advanced Duel Techniques required attendance at thirty area duels per semester. Duels occurred at any of the three dorms, depending on the participants.

On this particular Wednesday afternoon, Matthew Luther finally accepted a duel against Naoto Kurotsuki in the Tsuji Arena of the Blue Mansion. The duel was only slightly better hyped than the average area duels—on account of college students being lazy no matter who's dueling—but the crowd was more diverse. It turns out many of the freshmen in Dr. West's class liked Matt as a teaching assistant and wanted to support him as he faced the duelist currently ranked No. 3 in the school.

"Any chance Naoto wins this?" Kenny asked Bryan.

All Bryan could ask was, "Why are you still wearing that stupid hat?" It wasn't terrible that Kenny would wear a cowboy hat, but this one was big enough to cover Connecticut when it rains. "Are you planning to collect the rain tonight in your hat and use it to irrigate an entire third world country?"

"I like it," Kenny said as he pulled the hat forward slightly. "Seriously, though. What are the odds?"

Bryan scoffed amusedly. "I don't gamble on these duels anymore."

Thomas Estrada, Kasumi's ex-boyfriend and Matt's "number one fan," leaned in and offered Kenny, "I'll give you three to one Naoto beats the crap out of him."

"You're crazy," Bryan immediately replied. "Matt's favored one-point-five to one."

"That low?"

"Well…" Bryan had to admit that, from a serious oddsmaking standpoint, Naoto had a good chance of winning. He was skilled, aggressive, and ran an instant win deck. At the end of every semester, the duelist with the most wins in recorded duels wins a prize; Naoto had the most wins by a fifty-duel margin. Matt had the highest win percentage, but Naoto competed in almost triple the number of duels.

And even though Matt could probably win with a pack of _Uno_ cards, he was still in the rebuilding phase with his deck. Two times out of three, Matt would win a duel against Naoto. But thirty percent was a significant number, and certainly not odds to sneeze at.

Wearing his long, navy-blue trench coat in place of an official Academy jacket and a Duel Disk bearing the logo of the Denkard Hotel and Casino, Matt took the first turn.

"I'll set a monster and end my turn."

Naoto wouldn't care no matter what Matt played. "I will activate Card Destruction." Both players discarded their hands and drew new cards, giving Naoto a better variety to work with. "When I send all monsters in my Graveyard back to the deck, I can summon Exodius the Ultimate Forbidden Lord." The god-like beast that emerged on the field wore an enormous, black, iron breastplate that matched the shackles around his wrists and ankles, and an elaborate, Egyptian headdress adorned its head. His body was developed perfectly to accent every individual muscle fiber.

"Oh, this won't be good," Matt decided.

But that wasn't the worst of it. Naoto earned some notable rare cards in his prize last semester, and he also picked up a few new tricks.

"By discarding Luster Dragon (4), Vorse Raider (4), and Gemini Elf (4), I can summon Montage Dragon (8/+3600/0)." The emerging monster was almost as big as Exodius. Its blue scales shimmered over its beige underside, and its claws were massively oversized for its thin arms. This Montage of monsters had three heads, each with a bone crest over its forehead, and an enormous tail to counter the extra weight. "This dragon gains 300 attack for every level of the monsters I discarded."

"Wonderful," Matt said dryly. "It wouldn't be an official duel unless I took a really big hit on the first turn."

Naoto simply nodded—the same response a lot of people had to Matt's humor. "Don't forget; Exodius (+3000) gains 1000 points for each Normal monster in my Graveyard. And now I will make Exodius attack your monster. The act of declaring an attack lets me send Left Arm of the Forbidden One to the Grave."

"You beat my Giant Rat (1450) even without the extra 1000 points." Exodius's (+4000) mighty fist slammed into Matt's accurately-named giant rat and crushed it. "On the upside, Giant Rat summons another monster to take his place." He chose a second Giant Rat (4/1400/1450), but this one was in attack mode.

"Then allow my Montage Dragon to destroy this Rat." The dragon wrapped up the rat in its massive claws and then devoured it. This time, the Giant Rat summoned the Exiled Force (4/1000/1000), a group of five men armed with only basic armaments. "I will set two cards and end my turn."

Matt 8000 – 2200 = 5800: Naoto 8000.

"You're really trying to make this tough on me, aren't you?" Matt joked. Naoto wasn't interested in responding, though; he wasn't falling into Matt's psychological trap. "Okay. Not into chatting while we duel, are you?"

"I am not." Matt just grinned in reply. Naoto wasn't perfectly withheld, as evidenced by the fact that he still answered questions.

"Fair enough. I'll send Exiled Force to the Graveyard to activate their effect: Montage Dragon is destroyed." Each member of the five-man squad attacked Montage Dragon from a different angle, planting explosives that destroyed the dragon at the cost of their own lives. "Now that my field is empty, I can summon Cyber Dragon (5/2100/1600)," a serpentine dragon composed of metal that was often seen on Matt's field. "I'll activate Premature Burial to revive the Exiled Force (1000)… and I have to send them to the Graveyard again."

"Dark Illusion activates," Naoto announced. A small, black phantom appeared on the field and intercepted the Exiled Force. Instead of being destroyed by their attacks, the phantom simply disappeared with them. "It negates an effect that targets a dark monster on my field."

"That sucks a lot," Matt admitted. Now Cyber Dragon was pretty helpless. "I'll set two cards and end my turn."

Matt 5800 – 800 = 5000: Naoto 8000.

As Naoto drew his card, he couldn't help letting the slightest of smiles peek from the corner of his mouth. "I will send Exodius (+5000) to attack your Cyber Dragon (2100)." He sent the Right Arm of the Forbidden One from his deck to the Graveyard to increase Exodius's power.

"I'll activate Mirror Force." A reflective barrier popped up between Exodius and Cyber Dragon, preventing the mighty fist from moving any closer. "It negates your attack and destroys your monster."

"I'll play My Body as a Shield," Naoto countered. A hologram of a human body with a resemblance to a generic Duel Academy student appeared in front of the Mirror Force and tapped the wall, ready to destroy it. "It negates and destroys your _Trap_."

"Didn't see that coming," Matt replied. "I'll play my other card. I hope you're paying attention because this one spends a lot of time on the Forbidden Cards list." A man appeared on Matt's field wearing regal robes of white and red, gold jewelry, an ornate crown, and a full beard upon his face. By simply holding his arm forward, the human shape that protected Exodius from the Mirror Force wall began to falter and cringe. "Imperial Judgment negates the effects of all Spell Cards as long as it remains on the field."

Naoto's expression turned to shock and frustration. "Fine!" he snapped. "I'll use a Trap to beat you." As he activated his other facedown card, a stone brace—marked by eight grenades—surrounded Exodius's neck. "If my monster will be destroyed either way, Ring of Destruction will make sure it's done _my_ way." One grenade burst and began the chain reaction that caused all eight grenades to explode, destroying Exodius and covering the field in fire and debris.

When the holographic dust cleared and a bunch of smartasses in the audience stopped pretending to choke on it, Naoto stood with a smirk on his face and watched both Life Point counters drop with incredible speed.

"That ends my turn."

Matt 5000 – 5000 = 0: Naoto 8000 – 1500 – 5000 = 1500.

It took a minute for everyone to realize that Naoto just won. Everyone claimed they knew how to beat Matt in a duel, but in the backs of their minds, everyone also thought Matt really was unbeatable. Naoto knew Matt would be a thoroughly challenging opponent, and so he designed his deck to hit hard and fast.

"Well, this is an exciting turn of events," announced Dr. Houtz.

Dr. Gabrielle Houtz was faculty advisor to the Yellow Dorm, but she was the moderator for the duels in the Tsuji arena today. She always had a smile on her face, but that was really not the first thing people noticed about her. Her appearance was difficult to mistake: She wore her jacket open in the front, revealing her black blouse and skirt and the fishnet pantyhose she wore underneath; her boots were knee-high; and her hair—dyed black—was pulled into pigtails. Her voice had a certain rasp to it—more of a Barbara Stanwyc voice than a chronic smoker's voice.

"It is official," Dr. Houtz announced. "We have a new No. 1 duelist at Duel Academy. Congratulations!"

Naoto tried not to look too proud. He straightened his white jacket and ran his fingers through his deep blue hair to preen himself for adulation. "Thank you." Extending a hand toward Matt and trying not to smirk, he said, "That was a good duel."

"Yeah" Matt said with genuine sincerity. "A quick one, too. I really didn't put up much of a fight at all."

"I just prepared better this time," Naoto said, now in _false modesty_ mode. "Perhaps if we have a rematch, you will win the next time." Those were his words, but as a mental afterthought, he added, _'Fat chance.'_

"You can bet there will be a rematch," Matt assured him. "Just as soon as I figure out what I want to do with my deck."

Dr. Houtz shook both duelists' hands—crossing her arms across her body to do so—and said, "Good. Then we'll look forward to another duel." With a puzzled look toward Matt, she added, "Although I'm a little surprised. You don't seem like nearly as big a threat as Kevin made you out to be."

She was referring to Dr. Kevin Lankford, the faculty advisor to the Blue Mansion. "What does that mean?" Matt wondered. "Why would he say I'm a threat?"

"After a duel like that, I don't know," Dr. Houtz replied with a shrug. She quickly realized how her words sounded and became socially defensive. "Not that you played a bad duel. It's just that Naoto was better, and Kevin made it sound like you were magic or something."

"I'm definitely not magic," Matt promised, "but I'm usually a little better than that."

"That's because he's rebuilding his deck right now." The interruption came from Bryan, whose reaction to Matt's loss was blown much more out of proportion than was necessary. He looked as flushed as if _he_ were the one who just lost. "Matt's deck isn't up to its usual stuff right now."

"Bro," Matt uttered, hoping to calm his best friend before he made a scene.

"Seriously. He gave away his deck last summer to his little sister—I'm still not sure why—but then I gave away a bunch of his cards and he's been struggling to find a cohesive theme since then. So Naoto didn't beat the real Matt; he beat the fake, not-tournament-ready Matt."

"Dude. A win's a win," Matt said. "It's no big deal. I earned the No. 1 spot before; I'll earn it back."

"That's the spirit!" Dr. Houtz nearly shouted. "Now you boys go sit down and we'll get the next duel under way."

Naoto calmly walked off the stage and into the seats, taking one in the far corner of the front row. The arena seats weren't full, and most students tended to fill the back rows first, meaning Naoto had plenty of elbow room. He liked being Number 1, but it was for personal pride and not for glory and appreciation; he didn't want anyone to share his excitement with.

As the next two duelists walked on stage and Dr. Houtz programmed the stage projectors for their Duel Disks, Naoto felt a stabbing pain surge through his body. He cringed softly and reached inside his jacket to grip his chest.

* * *

February saw the end of the snow on Academy Island and brought slightly less chilly air temperatures. It was the kind of weather where people put on a heavy jacket and take a walk in the brisk, clear, winter air. It was the day after a rain, and so the moisture in the air felt much more pleasant, as well. With his chest pain still bugging him, Naoto hoped getting some fresh air would help his pain; going into the woods was a way to avoid being seen.

Naoto didn't always have this problem. It only started since he began playing Exodius the Ultimate Forbidden Lord.

During the summer before Naoto entered high school, Naoto's grandfather received two VIP tickets to a high-profile Duel Monsters tournament and took Naoto as his guest. Being so close to the duels was exciting, but even more exhilarating was the chance to meet the participating duelists at the follow-up reception. Of the top ten finishers, five were Japanese, four were American, but the overall winner was British. He was a quiet man who showed very little emotion—he was neutral at all times. He looked so cool even though he dueled in a suit and tie. When he dueled, he never flinched or winced when his opponents attacked him or took the lead. He finally overwhelmed them with Exodius the Ultimate Forbidden Lord.

Everyone with VIP tickets had the opportunity to speak and get takes pictures with the tournament winner. When it was Naoto's turn, shy as he was, he couldn't help telling the man:

"I have Exodia."

"Do you?" the champ replied lightly. "Rare card."

"He's my favorite."

The champ's assistant readied the camera to photograph Naoto and his grandfather, and the champ very suddenly surprised Naoto by handing him Exodius the Ultimate Forbidden Lord.

"Keep it," he said. "But be aware. There are stories that the spirit of the real Exodia lives inside that card."

"Really?"

He nodded. "I hear his voice when I play that card. Maybe you can, too."

Excited over the idea of owning a magic card, Naoto kept Exodius in his deck ever since that day. He was long since aware that the secret of Exodius is what caused his pain. Despite all that, he couldn't bring himself to throw it out. He only wondered if he would ever see the champ again.

A rustling in the trees startled Naoto. "Who's there?"

"No one," was the ironic response. A shorter man with jet black hair and dressed in a black Academy jacket stepped through the trees. He didn't say anything more; he just leaned against a tree and looked in Naoto's direction.

"Matt? Why is your hair black?"

"Everyone thinks I'm Matt," Nigredo moaned. "I guess I should feel lucky they think of me at all."

Naoto was confused. "What are you doing out here?"

Nigredo shrugged. "Sometimes I just stand out here and wonder, 'Why?' Sometimes I think, 'Wherefore?' or even 'Inasmuch as which?' And sometimes, I don't think anything at all."

"How can you think nothing?"

"I just stop thinking about one thing and don't start thinking about another."

"Okay." Naoto rubbed his jacket breast to soothe his pain. "If you don't mind, I'd like to be alone. Would you please leave?"

"Exodius is calling me," Nigredo said eerily. "I can't leave until we duel. Although I admit this dueling stuff—cards and such—is rather silly. There's not much in it." When he lifted his arm, he revealed that he wore an active Duel Disk. "If you'll duel me, I can leave you alone."

Naoto felt another shot through his chest. "I am really not in the mood for a rematch so soon. Perhaps later."

"The Nigredo desires Exodius. I can't leave without it."

Suddenly the wind kicked up—the kind of cold air that chills straight to the bone. Naoto recognized an omen when he saw it. He pushed through the pain and stood to face his awkward opponent. He felt his own arrogance begin to fade as he felt the energy coming from this man who was clearly not Matt. "Okay."

"I might as well start," Nigredo suggest as he drew his cards. "I'll just put a monster in defense mode and set one card."

Naoto eyed his opponent carefully. He was still feeling the effects of his earlier duel, but he received a strange feeling from Nigredo that compelled him to play. And so, he drew his opening hand.

"I will summon Gene-Warped Warwolf (4/2000/100)." This monster was a genetically mutilated wolf—like a four-armed, human-wolf hybrid with hair covering its back and pleated skirts for armor. "Attack your monster." The Warwolf pummeled the facedown monster, which turned into a big, oozing pile of mud.

"You flipped Worm Jetelikpse (3/1200/0)." Suddenly a tube appeared on the field, filled with a viscous liquid clear enough to display the brain of an alien. The tube opened, and tentacles sprouted from the brain and wrapped up the Warwolf. "I'll activate Alien Brain. Because you destroyed my monster, I get to take control of your monster and turn it into a reptile-type."

Naoto didn't like that setup. "I will set one card."

Before his turn fully ended, a big pile of mud appeared on Nigredo's field. A yellow, insect-like face poked out. "During the turn Worm Jetelikpse is flipped and destroyed, I can summon it back to the field," Nigredo explained. That only increased Naoto's concern over the condition of the field.

"And now it's my turn." Nigredo drew and Naoto felt a shock in his chest. He was now very aware that the strange energy coming from Nigredo came specifically from _that_ card. And he was right to worry: "I'll activate Transmutation Circle – Nigredo." An enormous rush of energy spread from Nigredo's Duel Disk in the form of a black circle, encompassing the dueling field and locking both players into a battle.

"What is this energy?" Naoto uttered.

Nigredo's eyes showed surprise. "You can sense the power of the Transmutation Circle? That's impressive. I probably couldn't do it if I weren't born from one. I guess you're probably stronger than I am."

"We will see, won't we?"

"I guess you'll be disappointed to hear that you have to take the top card on your deck and remove it from play." He picked up his own top card and showed Worm King. "I do, too."

Naoto lifted his top card, but he didn't have to look to know what it was. The moment he touched it, he felt the pain resurge in his chest. It was Exodia the Forbidden One. "It is just as well. I may get injured if I play this card."

"Accidents are funny things. You never have them until you have them." Wise, Yogi Berra-like words from Nigredo. "But receiving power from the Shadow Realm isn't really an accident. It's something you do all the time."

"What do you mean?"

He pointed to Naoto's card. "I might be wrong, but that Exodius you use has a piece of God sealed within it. You're only human, though, so it hurts when Exodius talks to you. It was the same when the God Cards started to wake up."

Naoto wasn't sure what to say. He didn't go through the Shadow Realm experience last year, and so Nigredo's words sounded like hocus pocus nonsense. "How would you know that Exodius hurts me?"

"Why do you think the Nigredo wants him? Both our cards become sacrifices offered to give power to the Transmutation Circle, but Exodius is an even greater source of power than Worm King."

"What is that card?" he asked, motioning to the black circle. "Why does it need so much power?"

"No one tells me anything. I just _feel_ what to do. Like now, I just feel like I should Tribute my Worm Jetelikpse to set a monster in defense mode. Then your Warwolf (2000) can attack you." The Warwolf lunged and pummeled all four arms into Naoto. Despite the holographic technology, Naoto felt a painful surge in complete timing with the attack. "Now I can't think of any better move to make than to play Future Fusion; it lets me send six of my Worms from the deck to the Graveyard and start the fusion process to be completed at a later date." A green aura began whirling on the field, having no impact on anything around it.

Naoto 8000 – 2000 = 6000: Nigredo 8000.

This was not an ideal situation for Naoto, but he built his deck to win even without Exodia. "I'll set one monster, and then I will set another card on the field."

"Okay. I'll Tribute your Warwolf so I can summon Worm Prince (6/2200/400)." The monster that appeared was a large, humanoid alien-looking creature with a red exoskeleton, horns on its head and back, and a real mean look its face. "It will now attack your monster." The creature lumbered forward and grabbed the facedown monster, which turned into a pink blob with a goofy, upside-down face.

"Marshmallon (3/300/500) isn't destroyed by battle. And for attacking it when facedown, you take 1000 points of damage."

"I knew it was a trap," Nigredo moaned, "but I fell for it, anyway. And now my Worm Prince is going to destroy itself because I don't have another Worm on the field. My turn has to end."

Naoto 6000: Nigredo 8000 – 1000 = 7000.

"I'll summon Tune Warrior (3/1600/200)." This monster was a lanky warrior that resembled a red splitter, with electronic jacks for hands and antennae on his head. "By tuning my two monsters together, I can summon Goyo Guardian (6/2800/2000)." Tune Warrior plugged his arms into Marshmallon's back, and the two monsters turned white as electrical currents surrounded them; when the energy subsided, their bodies had merged into a warrior wearing kabuki clothes and wielding a jutte with a rope tied to the end. This monster was Naoto's second rarest card, and arguably his most powerful. "I will attack your monster."

The jutte connected directly with a blue-bug-like humanoid as it flipped face-up and its exoskeleton cracked. "You attacked Worm Noble (6/1500/2400). You did destroy it, but it's going to inflict damage equal to half your monster's points." The cracked Worm Noble emitted a noxious gas before it disappeared.

Naoto waited until the fumes faded to reveal the real power of his monster. "Whenever Goyo Guardian destroys a monster, he takes control of that monster and summons it to my field in defense mode." Worm Noble's (2400) blue body reappeared on the field, but this time in defense mode in front of Naoto.

Suddenly Goyo Guardian's body turned black from the toes up, and his body turned to ash.

"What in the world just happened?" Naoto asked as he gripped his chest with another pain.

"Nigredo happened." He pointed to the Transmutation Circle. "During your End Phases, it destroys any monsters that battled and inflicts their points as damage to the controller."

"Why was your monster not destroyed last time?"

"The blackening process is fickle. It only activates on your turn."

Naoto 6000 – 1400 – 2800 = 1800: Nigredo 7000.

Naoto was a little concerned now. This duelist was nothing like the Matt he dueled just an hour ago. How could anyone compete with a card that destroys any attacking monster and deals damage depending on the monster's strength? He simply had to cling to his pride; he defeated Matt, who was previously thought to be invincible, and he would defeat this Nigredo.

"It's a good thing Future Fusion activates again," Nigredo said, "because I don't know what else to play." The green energy turned into a portal that connected to the Fusion Deck. "All those worms I discard turned into Worm Zero (10/+3000/0)." The bodies of six, colorful Worms rose high into the arena air, collecting into one, colossal mass. "Some people call it Zero: the Worm Planet. It gains 500 points for each Worm fused."

"I already jumped to that conclusion."

"I'm not surprised. You're much better than I am. Anyway, Worm Zero has lots of effects. It includes more than two Worms, so I can set a Worm from my Graveyard on the field. It includes more than four Worms, so I get to remove a Worm in my Graveyard from play to destroy the Worm Noble you took from me. It includes six Worms, so I also get to draw a card." He looked at his hand for a moment with a clueless expression. "I don't really know how to use these, so I'll play Card Destruction to get a new hand." After he replaced his hand, he saw, "I think that's better. I still get a Normal summon, don't I? I'll put one face down. But I guess if Worm Zero hits you, that will end the duel."

"It might," Naoto admitted, "if it works. I'll activate Soul Resurrection; it revives my Battle Footballer (4/1000/2100) in defense mode." A demon bearing football pads appeared on the field and blocked the debris that fell from the Worm planet. Unfortunately, there was too much debris and Battle Footballer was destroyed.

"I don't get to attack again. I guess I'll end my turn."

Naoto knew as well as anyone that play was just a stall; he'd need something more substantial if he wanted to beat that floating body of Worms. Even Exodius in his hand wasn't able to bring a win.

He placed his hand on his deck and felt powerful warmth in his fingers, and the pain in his chest subsided. He looked at the card, and even though it was one he never saw before, he felt like it was familiar. He read the effect of the card, and he knew immediately what to do.

"I'll summon Exodius the Ultimate Forbidden Lord (10/0/0)!" The massive form of the young Exodia emerged on the field in a blaze of fire. Though he had no attack points, his presence was still a powerful one. "All the monsters in my Graveyard are returned to my deck to summon him, but I need monsters in the Graveyard to make Exodius strong."

"It is one of life's ironies," Nigredo admitted. "Actually, irony is more the norm than the exception, so I guess life is only strange when it's straightforward."

"You think straightforward is odd? Then you might enjoy this card: Elixir of Life!" A vial of red water appeared in Exodius's hand; the massive Egyptian threw back his head and chugged the vial. His body began to shine. "Equipped with this, let's see how well Exodius (+1000) attacks Worm Zero (3000)." As Exodius moved, his left arm appeared to turn gold in coordination with Naoto's sending Left Arm of the Forbidden One to the Graveyard.

"I knew it was too good to last," Nigredo moaned. Despite the size of Exodius's fist, Worm Zero resisted the force with minimal damage. Exodius simply retreated to Naoto's side of the field and waited for his next turn. "I knew it. That card chose you."

"I don't know where this card came from," Naoto admitted, "but Elixir of Life negates any Battle Damage to the equipped monster. I'll set one card and end my turn."

As it hovered in the sky, Worm Zero began to blacken and decay and turn to ash. "The effect of your Transmutation Circle activates during my End Phase, does it not? Against any monster who battled and is _not_ protected by the Elixir of Life?"

"It's true," Nigredo said. "Even my monsters are susceptible to Nigredo. It's just rare that someone sacrifices a monster to hurt me."

Naoto 1800: Nigredo 7000 – 3000 = 4000.

"There isn't much I can do," Nigredo admitted. "I can only flip up Worm Victory (7/+5000/2500)." This nearly ultimate Worm monster had a heavy, red exoskeleton, a V-shaped face, and six, muscular arms, each with two fingers held up in the symbol for 'victory.' Victory leapt across the field and pummeled Exodius. "When Victory is summoned, he destroys all monsters that aren't Worms."

"Except Exodius," Naoto argued. "The Elixir of Life keeps him healthy and young. And he will still suffer no ill effects in battle."

"I know. But I also know that Elixir of Life will only last for two turns. You need to make the next one count."

He was right. Exodius only had one more turn before the effects of Elixir of Life turned negative. Naoto had to make this turn count. It just depended on what card he drew…

"Activate Escape from the Dark Dimension." A wormhole opened up on the field, and the head of Exodia the Forbidden One (3/1000/1000) emerged on the field. "I'll also chain Compulsory Evacuation Device to return Exodia to my hand. Finally, I'll pay 1000 Life Points to activate Diffusion Wave-Motion; now Exodius (10) can attack all the monsters on your field."

Exodius (+2000) lunged and slammed his golden, right arm into Worm Victory's (5000) chest, but the Worm was not destroyed. And so Exodius (+3000) tried again, this time gaining some speed from his golden left leg. When Worm Victory still didn't fall, Exodius (+4000) tried again with a boost from his golden right leg. Exodius tried one more time—his entire headdress turning gold this time.

While Exodius's points didn't rise, his body began to burn brightly and his overall power skyrocketed. The palm of each of his hands began to shine with a light that was blinding, yet comforting and mesmerizing. Exodius brought his two palms together, and the light expanded until it consumed the entire area.

Naoto 1800 - 1000 = 800: Nigredo 4000 - AUTO-LOSE = 0.

Exodius gazed at the opponent's empty field, but Naoto only cared to see the Duel Disk read "YOU WIN." He glanced at the hologram of Exodius with pleasure, but then he suddenly felt a powerful tightness in his chest. From the corner of his eye, he saw Exodius's eyes look in his direction and turn scarlet in hue.

"You've finally been pushed too far, have you?"

As a wave of lightheadedness and pain washed over him, Naoto fell to his knees, and slowly he lost consciousness entirely.

* * *

_That was fun. Just a little bit more information about Matt's look-alike. We'll get a little more in a few chapters. __And a little tidbit about Naoto that Kurotsuki Haru suggested and I elaborated.  
Quick trivia question: Who are the other two successful duelists in _my _Duel Academy who played Exodia-based cards? If you want to answer, send it through PM. The winner gets kudos (not the candy bar) and maybe a chance to invent some cards for the story._

_For your reference, here is today's made-up card:  
_

Elixir of Life  
Equip Spell Card  
"During your second Standby Phase after this card's activation, remove this card and the equipped monster from play. The equipped monster on your side of the field cannot be destroyed and you take zero Battle Damage from battles involving this card."

_I also used an altered effect for Diffusion Wave-Motion (on purpose):_

Diffusion Wave-Motion  
Spell Card  
"Pay 1000 Life Points to select 1 Level 7 or higher Spellcaster on your side of the field. The selected monster may attack as long as your opponent has a monster on the field (up to 5 attacks). Other monsters you control cannot attack this turn."

_The next chapter will be a social one, and, I hope, a lot of fun. Something happens that brings Matt and Rory closer than he intended; find out exactly what Kasumi thinks of that. Let's just suggest it ends with Kasumi finding someone tall, dark, and spooky._

_Credits:_  
_Darius Mantzios...tiramisu19_  
_Jason Maxim...Maxim and Knight_  
_Nathan Zislaw...Mavrik Zero_  
_Hillary Delaney...Nodqfan144_  
_Lili Von...Happy2BMe_  
_Carter Jade...Jaden2010  
Mitsuro Itachu...Titanic X  
Sean Bivins...DarkVestroia2_  
_Naoto Kurotsuki...Kurotsuki Haru_  
_Hayley Wilson...TeamRocketDiva_  
_Maikeru Stone...onyxshade7  
Victor Rocks & __Abel Shinzou...Iron-Arm-V_  
_Alister Kazama & Jessica Parks...ZaneKazama001_  
_Synthia Spencer...Madly Chessur_  
_Leila & Linear Lockhart...Windraider_  
_Romulus Malligan...Maximus1  
Logan Wilson...MercWithTheMouth13_  
_Everyone else so far...YamiRuss_


	22. NotSoCool Green Eyes

Chapter 22: Not-So-Cool Green Eyes

"Hey, Matt. You're early."

"I hope that's okay. Class got out just a few minutes early, and I thought if I stopped by early, then I can get back to my room a little early tonight."

Rory shrugged. "Well, come on in. I'm just finishing up some homework for Pr. Dawkins' class."

Rory and her roommate Lili kept a much more average room than the stereotype. Most people expect college women keep perfectly clean rooms where everything is always in the place it's supposed to be. In reality, women are only marginally better than men on average. Rory and Lili were good examples; their hampers overflowed and spilled clothes on the floor, books sat on their desks and chairs instead of the bookshelves, and plastic bags from Wal-Mart tied at the straps in lieu of actual trash bags. But the carpet was visible and mostly clean, and so visitors could enter without stepping on anything.

"Professor Dawkins?" Matt repeated with befuddlement. "Oh, Erica! Right. She's a teacher now. I keep forgetting that."

"We call her Pr. Dawkins," Lili said dryly from her position lying atop the top bunk. "Or Ms. Dawkins. It's less rude that way."

"Good point. Sorry." Despite being the teaching assistant for one of Lili's classes and being currently ranked No. 2 in the Academy, Matt still felt like a little kid around Lili, always being chastised for one thing or another.

He looked around the room and took note of the few posters the girls put up. Whereas he had posters of his favorite Duel Monsters cards and a whole lot of movie and comic book posters, Rory and Lili only had posters of bands and Seto Kaiba, the hottest duelist of all time according to consensus among Rory's suitemates.

"Always a pleasure to see you, Lili. How have you been?"

"Fine," she said curtly.

"Okay." Trying to get any kind of real conversation with her, he looked at her arm, which resembled a crossword puzzle. "What's that tattoo design called? Sunday New York Times?"

"That's funny," she replied without cracking any kind of grin. She finally sat straight up—she was short enough to do so without bumping her head into the ceiling—and looked straight at Matt. "Is it true a senior was sent to the hospital after a duel?"

Matt chuckled nervously. "Word really gets around here, doesn't it?"

"It's not a big place," Rory pointed out.

"Yeah. Well, Naoto has a lot of the same symptoms people get when affected by the God Cards. No one's sure exactly what happened, but I did notice some extraordinary energy from his Exodius card during our duel. If I had to guess, I'd say it has something to do with his condition."

Lili mockingly asked, "How does that seem like a logical conclusion to you?"

"You had to be here last year."

She wasn't thrilled with that response, but she had heard from a lot of upperclassmen who talked about how frightening it was when all the duelists suddenly fell into comas. "Is it true he was out in the middle of the woods?"

"No. He was closer to the back edge of the woods. Not sure why, though. Dr. Nagell said something about Naoto having heart problems for a long time, and he's a very quiet and introverted guy, so my best guess is he wanted to hide his suffering from everyone else. Too bad that meant he passed out with no one else around, but at least one of the police officers found him."

"Is he going to be okay?" Rory asked.

"I'm sure he's fine. Dr. Nagell said he's in no immediate danger, but he will have to tone down the excitement for a while. He may be on bed rest for a bit."

Lili snickered to herself. "I guess that means you're not going to be reclaiming your throne."

Matt shrugged. "I really don't mind letting Naoto be Number 1 for a while. Admittedly, it sucks a little bit, but at least I've still got time to climb back up before I graduate. And I've only fallen to Number _2_. Bryan's the one who's really upset. He's down to Number 3 now, even though he's already beaten Naoto in a duel."

Exhausted and still waiting for Rory to finish her homework, Matt plopped down on the lower bunk next to the plush menagerie (i.e., a lot of stuffed animals). He noted how comfortable it was. Either Rory brought her own mattress to school, or she just took better care of it than Matt did of his when he was in the Red Dorm. Or maybe he was just so tired that any mattress would feel amazing now.

"Don't fall asleep now," Rory joked. "There are rules against that."

"I'm just resting my eyes."

Lili scoffed. "What are you? Fifty years old?"

"Forty-six, thank you," Matt joked back. He was suddenly aware that he really could fall asleep, and so her reached over to the dresser and grabbed the Duel Deck that rested by the head of the bed. "Is this your deck, Ro?" It was. "You've got some nice cards." He stopped to read the effect written on one of them. "I really like this one. White-Horned Dragon. That's got a pretty decent effect to it."

"It works sometimes," she agreed. She was silent for a moment before asking him, "I don't suppose you can explain the Monty Hall problem* to me? This thing is so counterintuitive." Erica was teaching the Probability Applications course, which Matt already completed successfully. But when Rory looked to him for a response, she saw him completely unconscious with his left arm over his head against the wall and his right knee bent over the edge of the bed. "Really? You're asleep already?"

"Is he?" Lili leaned over the side of the top bunk and got a Spider-Man view of Matt's awkward sleeping position. "Like a freakin' baby. Want me to wake him for you?" She had a dirty grin and already had in mind four incredibly mean ways to wake him.

"No. Just let him sleep."

"Okay," Lili consented, really quite indifferent to the situation. "His leg is going to be so heavy when he gets up."

Rory stood from her desk and lifted Matt's leg onto the bed and pushed them both farther in so he wouldn't fall. She also pulled his shoes off and noted that he was not as tall as he looked when he dueled.

"Where are you going to sleep?" Lili asked.

"It's my bed, isn't it?"

* * *

Matt awoke naturally at six o'clock. Unsure where he was, he sat up quickly and banged his head on the support bar underneath Lili's bunk. He heard wild, stifled laughter in response, and he had to squint to see beyond the glow of a TV screen. Rory was holding a stuffed bear to her face to silence her laughter; she didn't want to wake Lili by accident.

When she finally got control of herself, she suggested, "Watch your head." Then she had to use the bear for cover again as she rolled onto her back and resumed laughing.

Matt couldn't see what was so funny, but he was also nursing a small bump on his head. "How long was I out?"

"Since eight last night."

"I slept here?" She nodded. He dragged his hand across his face. "Oh, man. I'm sorry." To himself, he added, 'Kasumi's going to kill me.'

"It's okay. You must have really needed it."

"But I was supposed to tutor you."

She waved him off. "Why do I need your help? You're only Number 2." She giggled when he finally broke a smile. She smiled brightly at him while he stood up and stretched, the increased blood flow helping him wake up.

"You should get going," she told him. "If you can be quieter on the way out than you were getting up, you might even be able to leave the dorm without anyone realizing you were here all night."

"I like that idea. Don't want to answer a lot of stupid questions, do I?"

"Nope. I guess we'll reschedule my lesson?"

He just nodded and pulled her small body into a friendly hug that lasted just a bit too long. "I'll see you later, Ro."

* * *

"Here we go!" Bryan said excitedly as he loosed his grip on the ball. It floated up ten feet and arced broadly as it traveled a total forward distance of only fifty feet and landed right by Cary's feet. "I call that The Beast of Talwar. You like it?"

"Why are you pitching?" Cary asked, always able to stay on topic.

"Because few are as nimble as I am in the infield."

"Except a monkey," she replied snidely.

"Well, we don't get a whole lot of monkeys in intramural softball, so I have to do it." He caught the ball when Cary threw it back to him and assumed his pitching stance. "Guess what I call this one." He took one step forward and threw the ball almost identically.

"Twelve Foot Arc?"

"No," he replied with a hurt look on his face. "It's called In the Hall of the Mountain King." He resumed his gleeful expression when she returned the ball. "Get ready because here comes the bane of all softball players: Fried Green Tornado!" He tossed the ball again, and as far as Cary could tell, it flew identically.

"I can never tell when you're joking."

"You know, you could be more supportive of your pitcher. You don't want to destroy my confidence right before softball season."

"Registration isn't for another month."

"And preparation is the key to success. I think Nietzsche said that."

"No, he didn't."

Bryan frowned. "Oh. Maybe I read it on a fortune cookie. Either way, we'll be the best team because we aren't waiting until the last minute to start practicing."

The weather was generally nice on Academy Island, but today was a particularly sunny day in late February. As long as everyone stayed on the quad in the sunlight, the temperature was actually very nice. Lots of people were out on the quad throwing a Frisbee, reading a book, or swinging sticks around, but it was still too cool even to consider lying out just to take in the sun.

When the softball duo saw Matt on the quad, they both had the same thought.

"You probably don't want to be here, being Kasumi's best friend."

"I want to hear what he has to say." She looked angry when she said it. Not angry like a guy at the bar whose drink you spilled, but angry like a woman who knows you're doing something you shouldn't but doesn't want you to know she knows.

"Hey, bro. I need to tell you something."

"Yeah, yeah. Did you sleep with Rory Ruiter?" There was no subtlety with Bryan.

"Quite literally, yes," Matt replied with that quick wit of his. Then his smile faded and he asked, "How did you know that? I was just coming to tell you."

"It's a small campus."

"I'm finally starting to figure that out." He looked to Cary and said, "I guess you heard that, too?"

She gave the slightest of nods. "Despite the rumor, I'm guessing you just fell asleep while you were tutoring." Matt wondered how she figured that out, and she replied, "You're not as smooth as you think you are. Why were you making a house call, anyway? Shouldn't tutoring happen in your office or the library?"

"She's a friend," Matt reminded her. "I used to visit your room all the time. Despite the number of times you told me to get out. Even before Kas and I started dating. All that happened last night was I fell asleep because I'm tired between work, classes, dueling, and two look-alikes running around stealing cards, and…" He turned his gaze and his finger to Bryan. "I am totally mad at you for not telling me you were coming out here to practice for softball!"

"Wanna play now?" Bryan offered, holding the ball in front of Matt.

Matt's expression instantly reverted to his carefree look. "Yeah." He ran over to Bryan's bag and grabbed his spare glove so he wouldn't have to run all the way back to his room. Even though she was constantly snarky, Cary also believed Matt didn't really do anything; she knew him better than that.

"One more question," Bryan said as he threw the ball over to Matt. "Does Rory's room smell as great as she does?"

"Like a freshly baked cinnamon roll."

Cary moaned, "Oh my god."

* * *

Rory enjoyed reading in the sunlight, just leaning up against a tree and soaking in the sunlight, although she caught herself looking up with fair frequency to watch Matt playing Catch with Bryan and Cary. She giggled when Cary very obviously threw the ball with the intention of hitting Matt, but he grabbed the ball from the air and pointed in her direction.

"Something funny?"

Rory jumped and turned to see Kasumi glaring down at her. She thought about saying that Kasumi needed to wear a bell, but she didn't want to upset her. Now that she saw Kasumi up close, she realized exactly how fit she was. Her thighs were solid enough to play baseball with, obvious because Kasumi wore form-fitting pants.

"Hi, Kasumi," Rory grumbled.

She just made a face. "I heard my boyfriend spent the night with you yesterday."

"He fell asleep while we were studying. That's all."

"I don't doubt it. I think you spread that dirty rumor to get me to dump him." It wasn't true, but Rory could see how Kas jumped to that conclusion. "I want you to leave my boyfriend alone. Stop hanging around him. Stop flirting with him. Don't make me angry." With a more menacing scowl, she added, "You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."

Rory wasn't sure how she could get to her feet and hide behind the tree quickly enough. She did climb to her feet and quickly realized that she was only an inch shorter than Kasumi, even if she was outweighed by thirty pounds. She decided to approach Kasumi as she would a bear; try to look as big as possible. She took in a deep breath and held it in her chest for a moment, and then her face started to swell.

Because that's where Kasumi open hand landed. Rory never even saw Kasumi's hand move before she was slapped hard across the face. She could feel that would leave a bruise.

"I can't believe you just slapped me," Rory uttered.

"You're lucky that's all I did. Maybe now you'll think twice before telling my boyfriend that you're in love with him."

Unable to help herself, Rory uttered in barely a whisper, "No wonder he likes me more."

Kasumi didn't intend that one. Her hand formed a fist and flew forward without any conscious effort. But before it hit Rory's face, something long and thin popped her fist and then popped her stomach. Kasumi recoiled just enough to miss striking Rory; Rory stumbled and then quickly scurried away to put the tree between her and Kasumi.

"Care to try that again?" Lili stood there, boldly pointing a cane at Kasumi. She was well practiced in stick fighting—martial arts using small sticks as weapons—and she was practicing on the quad when she saw Kasumi slap Rory the first time. Despite being much shorter than Kasumi, Lili wasn't intimidated.

Kasumi was well trained in judo, and the competitive part in her wanted to return the throbbing pain in her hand to Lili. But they were already starting to draw a crowd, and she was only really mad at Rory. She silently decided not to find a reason to hate Lili, too. Lili came to a similar decision, only ready to retaliate and not to attack.

But neither of them knew the other's intentions. They continued to watch one another, still tensed and ready to fight until…

"HAA!" Kasumi and Lili both hopped backward as someone large and heavy hit the ground directly between the two of them. Logan Wilson raised his head slowly and dramatically as he pointed each his empty scabbards at the fighting women, flexing his bare arms as he did so. "This looks like fun."

"What the hell do you want?" Kas grumbled. She knew Logan and his legendary level of arrogance. She was not impressed by his muscles or his over-clocked desire to fight.

"I just want in on your little fight," he said with a falsely innocent voice. More menacingly, he said, "It's just too bad the first people I've seen with any moves are girls."

"You afraid to hit a girl?" Lili taunted him.

He smirked. "Not at all."

Kasumi was able to scoff at the part of her that wanted a fight by scoffing aloud at Logan. "I won't let you bait me into a pointless fight."

Loudly and derisively, Logan replied, "Blasphemy! There's no such thing as a pointless fight. Only a pointless sword." He tilted his scabbards to remind the girls that he wasn't using swords, but simply scabbards that had no points at the end. "Get it?" Kas and Lili both groaned, and that's when Logan made his move.

First he batted Lili's cane away and followed by swiping at her with his other scabbard. Lili's grip wavered, but she held the cane and managed to step away from Logan's attack. Kas reacted to the movement, and Logan was quick to turn back around and swing at her midsection, quickly followed by an upward slash to keep her from spinning in toward him. Kas and Lili instinctively began to fight back, but Logan's swordplay was quick, strong, and positioned well enough to keep both women from getting close enough to hit him.

At first. Finally, Kas weaved her way in and thrust her fist into Logan's belly, and that stunned him just enough for Lili to knock him on the back of the head. But Logan was hard-headed enough to regard pain like that as a triviality. He jabbed one scabbard behind him and connected to Lili's ribcage, and then he swept Kasumi's leg from under her and dropped her to the ground, quickly dropping with her and pressing the scabbard to her neck.

"That was fun, wouldn't you say?"

Then he dropped one of his scabbards and released his pressure on Kasumi. "Ow, ow, ow!"

"What did I tell you about making trouble?" Mitsuro grunted. She had a solid grip on Logan's left arm, pulling it far enough behind him to stress his rotator cuff and pressing into his back to prevent him from breaking her grip.

"Always offer peanuts commensurate with—UGH!"

"See?" Mitsuro as she added pressure to Logan's arm. "You always have to say something witty and stupid. Now, if the next three words out of your mouth aren't 'I'm going inside,' the fourth word will be 'Ow, my crotch. You've kicked me in the crotch.' So… What do you have to say?"

Though his face showed his pain, Logan's reply was, "Are you related to that guy from _Unthinkable_?"

Across the quad, Cary noticed Kasumi's body language as she approached Rory, but she didn't bring it to Bryan's and Matt's attentions until after Kasumi hit Rory. The trio hurried across the quad, slowing down to watch Logan's crazy interlude, and coming to a stop a few yards from where Mitsuro subdued Logan.

"Kas knows karate, Lili does stick fighting, Hayley's crazy, and Mitsuro's just a badass," Bryan summed up. "Has it occurred to you that the women at this school can all kick our asses?"

Matt succinctly replied, "Yep."

"Does it turn you on a little?"

"You know that's right."

* * *

Matt was upset that Kasumi struck a friend of his over a little jealousy. Cary convinced him to cool off for a while and let her have the first go at talking things over with her best friend. While Mitsuro dragged Logan away by his ear, Cary approached and asked Kasumi what was so important she had to hit Rory.

"She's so smug," Kasumi answered. "She's trying to steal my boyfriend and doesn't even see the problem with that. I just want to choke her until her cute little cheeks pop."

"You've been watching too many Starburst commercials," Cary replied. "Hitting her is only going to make the situation worse by getting Matt to sympathize with her. Why don't you just challenge her to a duel?"

"A game? Seriously?"

"You'd be surprised how cathartic a duel can be. And it's significantly less likely to draw battery charges."

Kasumi's face fell as she considered Cary's idea. It was, indeed, a less illegal alternative to violence and would leave her feeling less crappy about beating up a small girl. The only issue was: "I'm not that good a duelist."

"You're a great duelist," Cary argued. "You are so much better than you or your jacket give you credit for," stroking the yellow fabric to visualize her point. "And this will be an excellent time to prove it." Kasumi pointed out that Rory is a freshman prefect, and Cary replied, "So were you."

And that's how Kasumi ended up activating her Duel Disk just yards away from Rory.

"Just remember the stakes," Rory requested.

Kasumi scoffed. "Oh, I'm not worried, little girl. Let's just duel."

Rory picked her cards off her deck. "Fine by me. Shall I start or do you want to?"

"I'll go," Kas snipped. "I'll set one monster and put a card face down."

Rory rolled her eyes at such a simple start to the duel. "I'll use its effect to summon Cyber Dragon (5/2100/1600) straight to the field." The metallic, serpentine dragon was very familiar to Kasumi; it was the same monster that helped make her boyfriend the top-ranked duelist in school. "Because that was a Special Summon, I can also summon Spear Dragon (4/1900/0)." This dragon had blue scales and a beige underbelly, but most notable was its long, pointed nose that gave it its name. "Spear Dragon will attack your monster." The blue dragon stabbed its nose through the defending monster, which was revealed as Masked Dragon (3/1400/1100), a white-scaled dragon. "My dragon deals piercing damage when it attacks."

"I know that," Kasumi snapped. "I'm not some dumb rookie." She sneered as she picked a card out of her deck. "I also get to summon another Masked Dragon (1400) from my deck."

"I'll have Cyber Dragon attack that one." The metallic dragon released a burst of plasma from its mouth and incinerated the Masked Dragon. Masked Dragon's destruction allowed Kasumi to summon any dragon with 1500 points or fewer. This time, she chose a small, red egg (1/800/500). It began to crack, and the head of a black dragon with red eyes peeked out.

Rory just smiled. "A Red-Eyes Black Chick. I'm not surprised. It's your turn."

Kasumi 8000 – 800 – 700 = 6500: Rory 8000.

"Then maybe you predicted this move, too," Kasumi said as she started her turn. "I'll send the Chick to the Graveyard to summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon (7/2400/2000)." This near legendary dragon was tall and powerful, with an almost skeletal appearance with horns and claws protruding from every major joint. Its wingspan was wide enough to carry a dragon twice its size, and its red eyes shone bright enough to illuminate the deepest darkness.

"That's a well-supported card," Rory noted. "And a great one in the history of the game."

"Stop patronizing me. The Red-Eyes isn't as obviously powerful as the Cyber Dragon, but it brings great potential. I'll activate my facedown Dragon's Rage." The glow from the Red-Eyes became even more intense and fire began to spurt in small wisps from its jaws. "Now I'll attack Spear Dragon (0)." Spear Dragon switched to defense mode after it attacked earlier, and now Kasumi's Trap card gave all her dragons piercing damage as it released a giant fireball from its mouth. "I'll set another card and end my turn."

Kasumi 6500: Rory 8000 – 2400 = 5600.

Rory smiled softly as she drew, but her friendly demeanor was not interpreted that way by her opponent. Kasumi was certain Rory was antagonizing her via overconfidence. No one was giving Kasumi even one chance in a million to beat Rory, and that only made Kasumi angry. She was eager to prove that she was still near Matt's level, and beating Rory was just Step 1.

"I'll start with Graceful Charity to draw three cards and discard two. Now I'll activate Polymerization to fuse my Cyber Dragon with a second Cyber Dragon in my hand." Two identical serpents fused as if by some magic force. The result was a two-headed mechanical dragon with a single, larger body, but the heads were no longer identical; one was pointed with an amber gem on the forehead, and one was beveled with a blue line drawn across the cheeks. "My Cyber Twin Dragon (8/2800/2100) can attack twice."

"I know that!" Kasumi yelled back. "Stop treating me like I don't know this game."

Rory held her hands in front of her—the international sign for "I'm unarmed." She said calmly, "I'm sorry. I'll quit giving a play-by-play." She simply pressed a button on her Duel Disk and watched the half of her dragon with the amber gem lunge toward the Red-Eyes and destroy it. And then the blue half lunged to attack directly. Rory set a single card and ended her turn.

Kasumi 6500 – 400 – 2800 = 3300: Rory 5600.

"Hah!" Kasumi laughed as she drew her card. "I'll play Premature Burial to revive my Red-Eyes (2400) from the Graveyard. And now I'll use my facedown Metalmorph." As the Red-Eyes stood, it was coated entirely in metal. "Now my Red-Eyes Black Metal Dragon (7/+2700+2300) will attack." Her metal dragon formed a fireball composed of molten metal, but it grew even larger before spewing toward Rory's monster. "Metalmorph increases my Metal Dragon's (+4100) attack points by half the power of your monster. That means playing a strong monster against me is just going to hurt you." She chuckled to herself as Rory's twin-headed dragon exploded in a hail of fiery shrapnel.

Rory just smiled. "He is powerful," she agreed.

"Shut up. Take your turn."

Kasumi 3300 – 800 = 2500: Rory 5600 – 1300 = 4300.

"You asked for this with your bitchy attitude," Rory said when she drew. "I'll activate Curse of Anubis." An Egyptian casket appeared on the field topped with the statue of a jackal-headed beast. The casket opened and spread a cloud of dust; the dust forced Kasumi's Red-Eyes Black Metal Dragon (-0) into defense mode and dropped its defense to zero. Without a word of mockery, Rory placed another card from her hand on the Duel Disk. "I'll summon Cyberdark Horn (4/800/800)." This was a metallic monster with a body like a spinal column, wings like blades, and four horns on its framed jaws. A Hunter Dragon—that sleek dragon with the razor-sharp scales—emerged from Rory's Graveyard, and Cyberdark Horn (+2500) attached to the dragon's body to draw its strength.

"I forgot about your machines and their stupid ability to equip dragons."

"That they can," Rory agreed. Without another word, she pressed the button for her Horn to attack Kasumi's Red-Eyes (0). All four horns pierced the metallic dragon and reached through to the back of the holographic field, right next to Kasumi. That was the visual representation of piercing damage.

Rory didn't say anything. She simply dropped her arms to her side and extended her right hand. "Friends?"

Kasumi 2500 – 2500 = 0: Rory 4300.

Kasumi growled with frustration. Once again, she lost to someone she should have been able to beat. And not only that, she lost their bet. Had Kasumi won, Rory agreed to stay away from Matt for good. But when Rory won, she earned the right to have Matt tutor her in the Red Dorm after dinner instead of being restricted to his office hours.

She turned her back on Rory's handshake.

"I figured not," Rory replied dryly.

That was just enough to push Kasumi too far again. She turned quickly and threw her fist toward Rory's face. Rory flinched, but the fist stopped when it connected to an open palm, which was connected to an arm much bigger and bulkier than Kasumi's.

"What is wrong with you?" Matt yelled. "You lose a duel and decide to beat up the winner?"

"That's not why I'm mad at her!" Kasumi screamed back.

"I know why you're mad. You don't trust me."

Kasumi pointed angrily, as she screamed, "She won't just butt out of my life!"

She made a move for Rory again, but Matt sidestepped to stay between the two women. His movement, however, pushed Kasumi off balance. She never fell, but she thought Matt pushed her, and she instinctually came back and connected to his face with her fist. As Matt's head turned with the force, his glasses flew off his face and he slammed onto the ground.

Kasumi just stood there in shock, aghast at what she just did. Matt slowly sat up and rubbed his face with the back to his hand to see if he was bleeding. He was not, but the entire left side of his face felt like a tennis ball under his skin.

Bryan, who was finally struck speechless during that ordeal, glanced at Cary. "I'll take him if you take her." She just nodded and walked over to Kasumi, offering to escort her back to her dorm. Bryan helped Matt get to his feet.

Lili stepped up and handed Matt his glasses. "Thanks," he said softly. She just nodded and gave the slightest smile—her way of thanking Matt for defending Rory.

Kas felt the anger bubble again when Rory followed Bryan and Matt, but Cary quickly told her, "Let it go. You'll just make it worse." Kasumi started to rationalize her actions, but Cary interrupted her. "I know. It was an accident. Both of you cool off, and then you can apologize."

* * *

_That was fun. I hope you enjoyed it, not in the sense that it needed to happen but in the sense that it was exciting._

_Congratulations go out to tiramisu19 for correctly answering my trivia question last week. He earned the opportunity to introduce some dueling cards into this story. Look for them in the next chapter._

_Speaking of the next chapter, this week is a special week: There are two new chapters! Keep reading!_

_Credits:_  
_Darius Mantzios...tiramisu19_  
_Jason Maxim...Maxim and Knight_  
_Nathan Zislaw...Mavrik Zero_  
_Hillary Delaney...Nodqfan144_  
_Lili Von...Happy2BMe_  
_Carter Jade...Jaden2010  
Mitsuro Itachu...Titanic X  
Sean Bivins...DarkVestroia2_  
_Naoto Kurotsuki...Kurotsuki Haru_  
_Hayley Wilson...TeamRocketDiva_  
_Maikeru Stone...onyxshade7  
Victor Rocks & __Abel Shinzou...Iron-Arm-V_  
_Alister Kazama & Jessica Parks...ZaneKazama001_  
_Synthia Spencer...Madly Chessur_  
_Leila & Linear Lockhart...Windraider_  
_Romulus Malligan...Maximus1  
Logan Wilson...MercWithTheMouth13_  
_Everyone else so far...YamiRuss_


	23. The GreenEyed Monster

Note: _There are two new chapters this week! If you clicked here first, make sure to read the previous chapter first to know what's going on._

* * *

Chapter 23: The Green-Eyed Monster

Kasumi just lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She already counted the holes in the ceiling tiles twice. She couldn't bring herself to close her eyes, because every time she saw herself punch Matt again. It was simply unbelievable to her that as disciplined as she was when she learned to fight, she let her anger get the better of her in that moment.

"You need to find something to do," her roommate Ellie Bouchles insisted.

"No, I don't."

"If you just sit there and stew, you're only going to make yourself crazy. You should find something else to occupy your mind. Then you can come back tomorrow and tell Matt you're sorry."

"I don't know how he'll forgive me."

"He will. He loves you."

Kasumi just sighed. She wasn't so sure that was true. If he loved her so much, why did he want to spend so much time with Rory? Why he defending the freshman instead of his girlfriend? Why was he helping the freshman become a better duelist and giving no time to Kasumi?

A soft but firm knock on the door alerted Kasumi to Thomas Estrada and Nick Sims. The duo hadn't been in Kasumi's room for a year when they all lived in the Red Dorm. Nick gave a short wave as a greeting, but Thomas didn't bother with formalities.

"I heard what happened."

"Great," Kasumi groaned. "I'm sure everyone did." She pulled her pillow from under her head and used it to cover her face.

Thomas wasn't who Kas wanted to see right then. Not only was he her ex-boyfriend "coincidentally" visiting right after she had a big fight with her current boyfriend, but since the semester began, Thomas was rising straight to the top of the Yellow Dorm. In just the last week, he overcame both Alister Kazama and Darius Mantzios to become the top-ranked Yellow Duelist. Now he simply waited to hear back about the challenges he extended to many Blue Duelists.

"Sounds like the great Matt has a glass jaw," Nick laughed.

Thomas, still looking to Kasumi, said, "I was referring to the duel you lost to that freshman."

"Hey!" Ellie shouted. "Get out of here. You're not helping."

"I want to," Thomas replied quickly. He stepped closer to Kasumi. "What if there were a way to prove your worth and show everyone how good you truly are?" Kasumi's pillow shook as she shook her head and declined the imaginary offer. "What if you could beat that freshman next time? What if you could beat even Matt?"

Slowly, Kasumi moved the pillow from her face. "Are you cheating somehow?"

"No. Just drawing out hidden potential. I can see that same potential in you—the potential to be unstoppable. You just need to know how."

Kasumi was speechless, torn between how badly she wanted to be able to duel on Matt's level and wondering what kind of wonder drug Thomas could be peddling. What could improve dueling performance so much? It's not as if the effects of steroids would do anything useful.

"Is it illegal?"

Thomas smiled softly at her—it made him look more attractive and believable—and shook his head.

"Oh, come on," Ellie groaned. "There's no such thing as a drug that instantly makes you a better duelist."

Thomas ignored her, however; his focus was on Kasumi. He could tell from the look in her eyes that she liked the sound of his offer. He held out his hand to offer her help getting up off the bed. A little uncertain about the immediate future, Kasumi took his hand.

"I'm coming with you," Ellie commented. The way Kasumi looked like a speechless zombie, Ellie wanted to make sure someone would be out there keeping an eye on her roommate. She made a point of sending a text message to Darius on her way out of the room.

In the foyer in front of the main entrance to the dorm, another small crowd was gathering. Not an uncommon event, Vic Rocks was making a ruckus and drawing attention. In particular, he was drawing on a map of the island posted on the wall.

"This is where we saw the Ghost Duelist," he said. He glanced at Abel Shinzou from the corner of his eye. "Some of us think that was not Matt."

"Matt seemed pretty clueless about it," Abel pointed out.

"What else is new?" Hayley asked. "The guy's got the mental focus of a Pringle."

Dr. Apple was finishing up some maintenance paperwork before heading to his room for a while. That's how he came to wander right into the crowd on his way to the elevator. He stopped in back of the group and looked at the wall to see what they were doing. The composition of the group was strange enough: Elisa Locklear's kids almost never spent time out of their rooms with anyone else except Hayley and Romulus, and Hayley was usually disgusted with Vic. This must be a group pulled together by Serpentina, the name of Hayley's angrier, alternate persona. But why were they drawing on the board?

"Are you looking for a camping spot?" he asked, prompting everyone who didn't notice him to react with a start. He leaned over them and pointed to a spot on the edge of the woods. "That's a good spot. Team OTK usually takes their camping trips there, although, if you wait a few weeks, you might be able to have decent weather. By April, the island should be pretty warm."

"Why don't you wear a bell?" Hayley asked. "Then we'd hear you coming."

"Oh, sorry. Did I startle you? Anyway, that probably your best spot." He pointed to another spot on the mountains. "If you ever wanted to go hiking, this is a good spot. Nice easy terrain and you're far enough from the hot springs and the power plant they won't get on you about trespassing."

"You're not married, are you?" Vic asked. He figured no woman would put up with Dr. Apple's crazy non sequiturs.

"Not for a few years now," he replied, still with his upbeat tone. "Well? I'm going home, so Jessica is your RA for the night. If you need any help, she's here. I expect Alister will be here, too, even though he isn't technically on duty tonight. Ah, to be young and in love again."

"How old are you?" Leila asked.

"Old enough to be your father," he replied simply. He gave a goofy little wave and headed out the front door.

"That guy is nuttier than a bag of peanuts," Linear commented.

Vic whistled to get Linear's attention. "Hey, chica? Not done with the briefing yet."

"I'm a guy!" Linear growled through bared teeth.

"Are you sure?" Vic eyed Linear from head to toe for maybe the twentieth time since meeting him. "It's the hips that fool me."

"Can we get back on topic?" Abel requested.

"Right." Vic pointed at the map again. "We saw the Ghost Duelist at the back of the woods. Mantzios and the Tweedledums saw him over here near the Marufuji building. And Dipshit and Dipshot over here say they saw him right here next to Medici Hall where all the visiting duelists stay."

Ty and Clyde looked at one another, then back to Vic. "Which one of us is Dipshot?"

"Moving on," Hayley said. "Let's just go find this Ghost Duelist and kick his ass."

Abel sighed. "That's the whole point to this briefing. We aren't sure where to find him, and it will take a long time to search the entire island with just the bunch of us. And that's assuming this guy even spends _every_ night in the woods. For all we know, he's out there randomly."

"Why do we have to go?" Linear moaned.

Vic shot him a dirty look. "Did you not just _hear_ the part about covering a lot of ground? We need more bodies to search the woods and find the Ghost Duelist." Through a nice coincidence of timing and short attention spans, Vic noticed Ellie coming out of the elevator with Kasumi, Thomas, and Nick just then. "Eldina Bouchles!"

Ellie and Nick stopped to look, but Thomas kept walking until Kasumi stopped him at the door. "Vic?"

Vic waded through his group and approached Ellie. "You want to find this Ghost Duelist, don't you? You were there with Darius when he dueled the guy, right?"

"Actually, that wasn't the Ghost Duelist, I don't think."

Vic waved off the idea. "Yeah, right. Matt's mysterious twin brother or whatever. Anyway, we're going to go find him. We'll all split up into teams of two and search a zone of the island."

"We're actually busy," Kasumi replied. Then she looked to Thomas. "I'm not exactly sure with what, though."

Thomas finally looked back and motioned toward the map with his chin. "We'll help. A duel will be just the catalyst you need."

"Right," Vic said, both ignorant and indifferent to Thomas's meaning. "So, the platinum twins are going to the Marufuji building, Abel is going with the Dips to Medici Hall to protect them from anything frightening like their shadows, and I'll go into the woods with Hayley… where we'll be alone."

"Works for me," Hayley said. "That's where I'd be if I were him."

"I thought you _were_ him," Ellie pointed out. She was somewhat responsible for spreading the rumor that Hayley was the Ghost Duelist, but now it sounded like even her alter ego didn't know who the Ghost Duelist was.

Vic looked to Ellie's group. "You guys can go to Dr. Apple's camping ground and check that out. Just split up and fan out when you get there." Abel—who aware that Ellie didn't know what spot Dr. Apple pointed to—showed her on the map where to go. "Alright, Rock Stars. Fan out."

"Rock Stars?" Leila repeated.

"That's pretty lame," Abel agreed.

"Shut up. I rule."

* * *

"This place is creepy," Ellie commented. The trees formed a relatively thin canopy overhead, but the lack of foliage meant a lot of startling silhouettes against the moonlight. Walking through the woods at night was very different when Darius was with her.

"I'll protect you," Nick said with a grin. Considering he was hardly taller than a barstool, his words didn't inspire much confidence.

Thomas stopped suddenly, like out of the script of an old slasher flick. "We should split up," he suggested. "Not too far; we'll stay within shouting distance, but we can cover more area that way and maybe spot the Ghost Duelist all the more quickly." Ellie didn't like the idea, but Nick hooked his arm in hers and pulled her deeper into the woods, leaving Thomas and Kasumi to remain closer to campus. She was still entranced by his suggestions of power and followed him readily.

"Let's wait here for a while," Thomas suggested. "Wandering around doesn't do anything to increase our odds of finding him. We're better off sitting in one spot and waiting for him." He found a clear spot on the ground and sat down. Kasumi was a little slow, but she sat down right next to him.

After an awkward silence of about thirty seconds, Kasumi started thinking about her previous relationship with Thomas. She could still remember the first time Thomas lost a duel to Bryan. She broke up with him because he had a short temper and she wanted to spend more time with the best duelists; she thought she had a better chance of improving if she spent time with winners. Lately though, Thomas _was_ the best duelist.

"How did you get better so quickly?" she asked him.

He answered, "I stopped trying to censor my emotions. Instead of feigning humility and appreciation, I acknowledged the fact that I want everything and I will be the best. I don't care who thinks it's selfish, but I am who I am, and I want to have all the power involved with dueling." He turned to look at her. "What desires are _you_ keeping secret?"

Kasumi didn't want to answer. She kept her secrets for a reason, and her emotions were among them.

Suddenly there was a loud rattling in the trees nearby. Both duelists sat bolt upright. "What was that?" Kasumi asked.

"I'll go check it out," Thomas offered, skulking away from her. He disappeared into the darkness.

One footstep within twenty feet of her was all someone else could take before Kasumi turned and saw his approach behind her. She couldn't quite see the details of her company and, therefore, couldn't identify him right away, but she was certain it was a man of only average height and build. She could take him if he tried to attack.

"I wish you no harm, Kasumi Okuyama" his light, soothing voice said right away.

"Who are you?" she asked him.

"I am no one. The world is not concerned with me. You will have a much greater impact."

Kasumi instantly became nervous. What kind of guy wandered the woods at night and refused to reveal his name? There was no doubt in her mind that this man was the Ghost Duelist that Ty and Clyde mentioned.

"What do you want? Why are you here?"

"I want to share my power with you." He suddenly had her attention. "If you are willing to learn my method through a duel, you will find yourself even stronger than your nearly flawless boyfriend." He lifted his arm and held his Duel Disk in the moonlight while keeping his face in the shadows. "Will you accept?"

"A method that will make me better than Matt?" she asked with a laugh. She quickly—open-mindedly—changed her tune and seriously considered the possibility. She activated her Duel Disk. "Show me."

"Very well." The two waited momentarily while they're portable hologram projectors activated. "I'll start by summoning Mystic Tomato (4/1400/1100)." This demonic creature was straight out of _Attack of the Killer Tomatoes_; it was a large tomato whose human-like face was complete with sharp teeth.

Kasumi's Duel Disk lit up with her turn. "Follow your instincts," Ghost told her. "Don't even stop to think about your cards. Just play."

She scoffed to herself. "Just play? Yeah, right." She stared at her hand for a moment and put together the play she thought most likely to make a strong start. "I'll summon Red-Eyes Black Chick (1/800/500) and use its effect to summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon (7/2400/2000)." A red egg on the field cracked, revealing a baby black dragon; the dragon quickly matured into a fully-grown black dragon with glowing, red eyes and wisps of fire coming from its mouth. "This ought to incinerate your Tomato." A large fireball emerged from the dragon's mouth and destroyed the Mystic Tomato.

Ghost just smirked. "If you wish to be a better duelist, you must stop thinking about your moves. I will remove that human trait from you." He pulled a card from his deck and placed it on his Duel Disk. "When Mystic Tomato is destroyed, it is replaced by a dark monster with fewer than 1500 attack points: Here's Puppet Master (6/0/0)." An old jester with decayed skin appeared—a ballooned rear in lieu of legs, blue and yellow jester's clothes, and red energy strings connecting it to a possible monster on Ghost's field.

"I'm good enough to beat you," Kasumi insisted. "I'll set a card and end my turn."

Kasumi 8000: Ghost Duelist 8000 – 1000 = 7000.

"Not as you are. The only way for you to improve is to turn your weakness into your strength." With a slight grin, he placed another card on the field. "Advance Force will let me Tribute a monster Level 5 or higher to summon a monster Level 7 or higher. Meet Eschatos (10/2000/1800)."

A bright light shone from high above the playing field and beamed down to the ground. Within the light stood a bearded man wearing maroon robes and holding a bronze chalice in his hand. He looked about as threatening as a Wheat Thin, but the light never ceased to shine around his body, and he did emanate a certain air of power.

"What is he?" Kasumi asked.

"He is the messenger of The Omega. He is the last monster you will see if you do not learn to let go of your control." He placed another card on the field. "By viewing our Ultimate Destiny, Eschatos summons a Grail Token (10/2000/1800)." A large, clay chalice appeared on the field. Red wine from the chalice rose and took a humanoid shape identical to the shape of Eschatos. "This monster has all the same abilities of Eschatos, like the ability to equip itself to your dragon and reduce its power." The wine drenched the Red-Eyes (-400), and the acids weakened the exoskeleton. Eschatos continued by gently placing his hand on the Red-Eyes, which almost immediately faded away.

Kasumi was shocked when the Grail Token reappeared. "Eschatos is summoned back to the field when it is equipped to a monster that gets destroyed. And now? I'll set two cards to end my turn."

Kasumi 8000 – 1600 = 6400: Ghost Duelist 7000.

"That's a ridiculous monster," Kasumi commented. She'd never heard of it before, despite its apparent power and support. "Still, I think I can beat it."

"Don't think," Ghost told her. "Let your jealousy take you straight to the top. Feel the truth of your actions and do not flee yourself anymore."

"Shut up," she commanded. "I'm not the girl you think I am." She looked over her hand briefly and pulled another card. "I'll play Pot of Greed to draw two cards." A green pot with a goofy grin on its face appeared on the field and poured two cards onto Kasumi's side. "That's better. Now I'll play Polymerization to send Red-Eyes and Meteor Dragon from my hand to the Graveyard and summon Meteor Black Dragon (8/3500/2000)!" The images of the two dragons combined into a single, massive dragon the size of a small mountain, with black, igneous scales on its back and a red underbelly hiding a molten core.

Ghost simply hummed. "That's a little better."

"You'll love this, then. Meteor Black Dragon will attack and destroy that Eschatos thing; that should destroy the Grail Token, right?" Her dragon appeared in the sky and fell toward the ground at speeds that created a visible, fiery rim every time the sound barrier was broken.

"You need to let go of your inhibitions. Let your cards come to you and do not make conventional moves. An attack here is too simple for you. As long as a Grail Token is on the field, Eschatos cannot be targeted. Instead, your attack is directed toward my Grail Token." The Meteor struck the ground, but after wine splashed across the field, the only thing that changed was the disappearance of the Grail Token.

"You still take the hit," Kasumi pointed out. "I'll set another card and end my turn."

Kasumi 6400: Ghost Duelist 7000 – 1500 = 5500.

"Another push may send you in the right direction," Ghost decided. "Here is the card that will do so: Lifting the Veil." A veil of shadows circled the field around Eschatos for a moment, and then the shadows began to fade. A small, stone tablet appeared in Eschatos's hand; the image chiseled on the tablet was the exact appearance of the Red-Eyes Black Dragon. "Lifting the Veil grants Eschatos (+3200) the power of Veiled Monster – Red-Eyes. The strength of your dragon goes to my monster."

Eschatos grew by half the strength of the Red-Eyes, but he also gained the special ability of the great Black Dragon. He walked right past the Meteor Black Dragon and placed his hand on Kasumi directly.

Before Kasumi could sort out what happened—that Eschatos used the ability of Inferno Fire Blast—Ghost activated another card: "Divine Tempest destroys your facedown cards and deals damage for each one." Wind whipped violently across the field and carried Kasumi's two cards off the field.

Kasumi 6400 – 3200 – 600 = 2600: Ghost Duelist 5500.

"You will find this duel much more difficult to win if you do not acknowledge your deepest desires."

She scoffed at his repetition. "You just know me so well, don't you?"

"I know the raw emotion that drives you. In your purest form, you are jealous of those around you."

Before Kasumi could protect, he added, "That girl who defeated you earlier. You struck her because you envy her power—both the power in her cards and the affectionate hold she has on your boyfriend." His grin widened. "And you struck him on purpose, didn't you?"

She gasped in reply. "No!"

"Oh, yes. Think back. Remember the situation. Feel the emotion that surged through you. You remember it, don't you?"

Kasumi looked at her hands, trying desperately to remember that struggling to regain her balance is what caused her to hit Matt by accident. But Ghost's words wore her down.

"You want what _he_ has, as well. He has always been the best; that's what drew you to him in the first place. His power is something you want, not to emulate, but to surpass. But so far, you have fallen ever short on that goal. _That_ is why you struck him, isn't it?"

"No!" she tried to argue, but her voice weakened and she sounded defensive.

"Yes! You _are_ Envy! Now show me the real emotion in your heart!"

"Fine!" Kasumi screamed. She pulled a card from her deck and took hardly a glance before playing it. Her Meteor Black Dragon began to rampage across the field, causing Eschatos to drop the stone tablet in his hand. "Stamping Destruction breaks that Red-Eyes tablet and weakens Eschatos (-2000) back to normal. Now block this!" Meteor Black Dragon (3500) descended from the sky once again, this time smashing Eschatos beneath it and leaving a crater of wreckage.

Kasumi 2600: Ghost Duelist 5500 – 1500 = 4000.

"Much better," Ghost chuckled. "The final step is to have Eschatos defeat you and draw out the emotions you are afraid to show. I'll play Divine Manifestation." A small pile of dirt on the field suddenly flashed with energy and manifested the form of Eschatos (2000). Eschatos suddenly turned into just a ray of light and enveloped Meteor Black Dragon (-1500), equipping itself. "I'll summon as backup Dark Effigy (4/1500/0)," just a collection of cubes bonded together to form a bigger cube that fluctuated as a living creature. "Dark Effigy will attack!" The cubes scattered and pelted the Meteor Black Dragon thoroughly until every cube burst; that's when the dragon and its equipment disappeared as well.

"Now… My final trump—Phantom Battle." Shadows danced around the field, almost as if another monster were hidden in the darkness, ready to attack. Eschatos (2000) reappeared when the shadows settled. "When Eschatos is destroyed while equipped to a monster, Phantom Battle brings him back." Once again, shadows covered Eschatos and took the form of a stone tablet, this time bearing the image of an Armed Samurai. "Lifting the Veil activates again to equip Eschatos (+2250) with Veiled Monster – Ben Kei. And with the field clear, you are open for a direct attack." Eschatos slipped forward and touched Kasumi again delicately, yet dealing direct damage.

Kasumi glared at Eschatos. She already put together in her mind the effect of the Ben Kei tablet… and what that meant about how she got here.

"With Ben Kei's effect, Eschatos gains an additional attack for each equipped card."

Kasumi 2600 – 2250 – 2250 = 0: Ghost Duelist 4000.

The red-haired beauty suddenly felt her turn cold, and her body tensed with frustration. Her mind filled with thoughts of card combinations that would have beaten Rory's plays earlier and how much it hurt to lose that duel. She thought about the fear of losing Matt while realizing she cared more about losing his body than his heart. Physically, she was much stronger and better endowed than Rory, so how could any man possibly be more attracted to the freshman? That frustration filled Kasumi.

"Feel the pain," Ghost coaxed her. "Let it fill your soul." He took her by the hand and his eyes began to shine. "Allow me to turn your emotions into strength."

While Kasumi lay unconscious, Thomas approached the clearing and stood by her body. "Is she mine now?"

"If she'll have you," Ghost replied. "Her personality is not mine to manipulate; I can only make her stronger. You should take her back to her room while she absorbs her new power."

"Then she's useful to you. And I've done what I promised by bringing her to you. So you'll give me more power?"

Ghost turned his back to Thomas. "Every soul you bring to me increases your power by a commensurate amount. It will take more than one soul to make you stronger than the Exodius user."

"I don't care about him! I want _your_ power."

Ghost stopped in place and peered back out of the corner of his eye. "It will take _many_ more souls to match my power. You'd better get to work."

* * *

The hot springs were located near the base of the volcano. The facility was run by a Kaiba Corp. subsidiary and ran special discounts during exam times to entice most of the Duel Academy students to come and relax for a while. Using steam from the heating vents under the ground, the water in the hot springs was heated naturally and without energy from the power plant.

Leila took advantage of the hot springs at the end of finals week last year; most of the students were already off the island and she got to be virtually alone with only few residents of Kazuki also attending. She enjoyed the hot water. It really felt quite amazing and relieved a lot of stress she felt about her mother being a Duel Academy professor.

But it wasn't where Vic told them to go.

"That guy's dumb as a rock," Linear told her. "Why does he care so much about this ghost duelist that probably doesn't even exist?"

"He thinks Matt is the ghost duelist," Leila reminded him. "He's not alone, either. The RA for the Blues has been hanging around him all semester just to spy on him and figure out if he's the ghost or not."

"She's an idiot to believe the hype." Linear found a nice little ledge that was solid and sat down. They hadn't gone far enough up the mountain to reach the hot springs' entrance, but they were far enough that sitting on the ground was warming than standing in the crisp air. Leila sat down next to him and settled in. "Let's just wait here for a while. When we don't see anything, we can let Serpentina know the ghost duelist is a hoax."

"Why do you think she wants to find him?" Leila wondered.

"I don't know. Maybe it's because she has a thing for Vic or maybe it's because she doesn't like anyone instilling fear in people except her. She makes a point _not_ to make sense sometimes."

The platinum twins looked over when a small pile of rocks began tumbling down the side of the mountain path. Each turned their heads higher on the path to see the person who knocked the rocks loose, and neither could believe who they saw.

"What the…?"

* * *

_The story is nearing its finish. I don't exactly how many more chapters it will take, but we're getting there._

_This week's duel featured cards created by tiramisu19. Thanks go to him for submitting; make sure to check out his profile and encourage him to continue writing his own story._

Divine Tempest  
Normal Spell Card  
"Activate only when you control a face-up Level 10 or higher Divine-Beast. Pay 1000 Life Points. Destroy all Spell and Trap cards your opponent controls and inflict 300 points of damage to your opponent for each destroyed card."

Divine Manifestation  
Normal Spell Card  
"Pay half of your Life Points. Special Summon 1 Level 10 or higher Divine-Beast from your deck. This monster cannot be Tributed or destroyed by card effects and returns to your deck during the End Phase of this turn."

Phantom Battle  
Continuous Trap Card  
"When an opponent's monster that is equipped with Eschatos is destroyed, Special Summon 1 'Eschatos' in face-up Attack Position. 'Eschatos' gains the destroyed monster's effect. Pay 800 Life Points during each of your Standby Phases. If you do not, destroy this card."

_In addition, our Ghost Duelist used cards I assembled:_

Eschatos  
Stars: 10  
Attribute: Divine  
Type: Divine-Beast  
ATK: 2000  
DEF: 1800  
"Once per turn during your Battle Phase, you can equip this card to a face-up monster your opponent controls, OR unequip it to Special Summon this card in face-up Attack Position. The equipped monster loses ATK equal to this card's original ATK. If this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle, it gains the destroyed monster's effects."

Ultimate Destiny  
Normal Spell Card  
"Activate this card only if you control a face-up 'Eschatos.' Special Summon 1 Grail Token (Divine-Fairy-10/2000/1800) in face-up attack position. Your opponent cannot target 'Eschatos' as long as you have a Grail Token on the field. Grail Token has the same effect as your face-up 'Eschatos.'"

Lifting the Veil  
Normal Trap Card  
"Activate this card only if you control a face-up 'Eschatos.' Once per turn, take 1 Veiled Monster card from your deck and equip it to 'Eschatos.'"

Veiled Monster - Red-Eyes  
Equip Spell Card  
"Equip this card only to 1 face-up 'Eschatos.' The equipped monster gains 1200 ATK and may attack the opponent directly."

Veiled Monster - Ben Kei  
Equip Spell Card  
"Equip this card only to 1 face-up 'Eschatos.' The equipped monster gains 250 ATK and gains one additional attack during your Battle Phase for each equipped card."

_Credits:_  
_Darius Mantzios...tiramisu19_  
_Jason Maxim...Maxim and Knight_  
_Nathan Zislaw...Mavrik Zero_  
_Hillary Delaney...Nodqfan144_  
_Lili Von...Happy2BMe_  
_Carter Jade...Jaden2010  
Mitsuro Itachu...Titanic X  
Sean Bivins...DarkVestroia2_  
_Naoto Kurotsuki...Kurotsuki Haru_  
_Hayley Wilson...TeamRocketDiva_  
_Maikeru Stone...onyxshade7  
Victor Rocks & __Abel Shinzou...Iron-Arm-V_  
_Alister Kazama & Jessica Parks...ZaneKazama001_  
_Synthia Spencer...Madly Chessur_  
_Leila & Linear Lockhart...Windraider_  
_Romulus Malligan...Maximus1  
Logan Wilson...MercWithTheMouth13_  
_Everyone else so far...YamiRuss_


	24. Silent Attacks

Chapter 24: Silent Attacks

"I would like to state for the record: I have never worn a dress," Matt declared. Quickly, a thought popped into his mind that countered that statement. "Well… Once when I was three. Ohh, and once in high school. But that was a football fundraiser and Bryan coerced me."

"I did not," Bryan argued. "Lauren Montgomery did."

Responding with a dirty grin, Matt said, "With what she had to offer, can you blame me?"

Cary groaned, "You guys wouldn't be able to focus if your noses were stapled to the subject."

"Not unless the subject were the staple in my nose," Bryan agreed. Matt joked about the piercings in Valerie's nose that looked like staples. Bryan claimed they were studs—so more _nails_ than _staples_.

"I knew you'd just act like this is a joke," Linear grumbled. With a scoff, he stormed off and wondered why he let his twin sister convince him to ask Matt about that strange, white-haired duelist they met.

"Wait," Leila pleaded with her brother. "Be patient with him. He uses humor to deal with stress. Remember last year during with the Shadow Realm rumors when Darius mentioned falling for a slew of Matt's pranks?"

"He's just an idiot. There's no reason for _him_ to feel stress from _our_ duel."

Leila disagreed. "How would you feel if someone suddenly told you they met a girl who looked exactly like you with breasts?" He stared back at her for a moment and wondered if she realized the near-mirror image moment they had going. She cocked a half-smile. "Just tell him the story." Coupled with a sisterly arm squeeze and perhaps some psychic vibe, Linear changed his tune ever so slightly.

"Fine. We were all outside looking for the Ghost Duelist when we came across this girl who looks exactly like Matt, but smaller and with long hair."

"Who's 'all'?" Bryan asked. When he noticed Matt's glare, he said, "I mean… Was she cute?" Now Cary smacked him. "I meant: Was she…" He tried to look to Matt or Cary for clues what he was supposed to ask. "White?" he asked while shrugging and looking generally clueless.

"She did have white hair," Leila agreed.

"Are you certain she looked like Matt?" Cary asked, keeping the important topic going.

Linear answered, "Except that she was kinda cute, she looked _eerily_ like Matt. It was frightening how much she looked like him."

"But she was a woman?" Bryan repeated.

Leila answered, "If she wasn't, then that was an amazing costume. She looked, sounded, and acted like a woman."

"Go back to the white hair," Bryan requested. "White like yours?" Leila and her brother were pretty well noted for their platinum blonde—almost white—hair. For people who never talked to them—which was anyone who was not also a pariah—the hair was the only way to identify the Locklear twins.

"Even whiter," Leila described. "It was bizarre."

Cary pushed Bryan aside and went back to the story. "And she beat you in a duel?"

Linear quickly snapped, "She didn't _beat_ us. It was just that card…"

* * *

"_I'll play Transmutation Circle – Albedo!" A white light surrounded the duel field, creating a perfect circle around the duelists and sealing them in. Matt's white-haired look-alike—Albedo—continued by explaining to Leila, "You pick up the top card on your deck and remove it from play." To Linear, she explained, "You pick up the top card from your Extra Deck and remove it from play."_

"_Why do we have to remove different cards?" Linear complained. "That sounds completely made up."_

"_Check your Duel Disk," Leila told him. Sure enough, the Duel Disk indicated a card should be removed from play from his Extra Deck._

"_That's bogus."_

"_That's the Albedo," the opponent suggested. "It's just how the card works." She removed Solemn Judgment herself; Leila removed Honest and Linear removed Five-Headed Dragon. "And don't forget about my Final Countdown spell." She motioned toward the thirteen wisps of flame that circled the field and continued to dwindle in number while increasing in size. "In just seven more turns, the flames will consume the field, and I will win automatically."_

"_You won't last that long against the two of us," Linear assured her_

"_You might be right," Albedo suggested in a reasonable tone. "But my facedown card here," as she set a card, "is a good one."_

_Linear and Leila 8000: Albedo 4300._

_When Linear's Duel Disk lit up, he realized it was his turn and Albedo didn't bother to summon or set a monster. All she did was set one card. She was doing an amazing job of stalling so far during this duel, even going so far as to play the often-banned Dark Hole spell to wipe the field of all monsters. And then she didn't even play one to take advantage and attack. She must have set a powerful card to protect herself for two turns without a monster. But Linear had a way around it._

"_I'll summon Mirage Dragon (4/1600/600)." This dragon had a serpentine body covered by chartreuse scales, and its tail grew a large scythe. And while the dragon was on the field, Traps couldn't activate during the Battle Phase. "Attack her directly."_

_The Mirage Dragon became rather blurry for a moment, reappearing directly in front of Albedo as if the version sitting in front of Linear were just a mirage. When its scythe swung, it split straight through a little ball of fluff on Albedo's field._

"_What was that?"_

_Albedo answered, "By discarding Kuriboh, damage from your attack is reduced to zero."_

"_That's a cheap trick," Linear suggested. He looked over to his twin, who started the duel before Albedo played her cards. "At least you're still open and Sis gets to attack now."_

"_That's right," Leila said with a smile. But before she even drew a card, the brown-furred Kuriboh (1/300/200) appeared on Albedo's field. "Hey. What gives?"_

"_It is the power of the Transmutation Circle," Albedo replied. "During the End Phase of my opponent's turn, one monster that was sent to the Graveyard during that turn gets Special Summoned to my field."_

"_That's tough," Leila commented._

"_That's a crock," Linear grumbled. He wanted to know where to get one for his deck. Albedo claimed it was one-of-a-kind._

_Leila started her turn with: "Tributing a Lightsworn monster to summon Celestia, Lightsworn Angel (5/2300/200) lets me discard four cards from my deck to destroy two of your cards." Celestia, armed with white armor and wings larger than herself, released two balls of light from her staff and targeted Albedo's two Spells._

_Albedo let the first collide with Transmutation Circle. "The Transmutation Circle can't be destroyed. The only way to get rid of it is to end the duel. As for my other card…" She chained the activation of her card before it was destroyed. "Pyro Clock of Destiny moves Final Countdown forward one full turn."_

_Leila's move wasn't in vain, however. From her field arose a half-man, half-wolf warrior armed with a double-sided battle axe and wolverine claws from the knuckles on each hand. "When Wulf, Lightsworn Beast (4/2100/300) goes from the deck to the Graveyard, he gets summoned to the field. And both my monsters will attack." Wulf chopped straight through Kuriboh (200), and Celestia followed directly behind. But her attack stopped when a monster appeared on Albedo's field—one that looked like the hands of an Infernity monster's clock._

"_When you declare a direct attack, I can summon Battle Fader (1/0/0) to end the Battle Phase."_

_Leila wasn't as frustrated as Linear by that move, but she was irritated that the two of them only hit Albedo's Life Points one time; the other dent was self-inflicted through Final Countdown. "I'll close with two facedowns." And Kuriboh (200) revived on Albedo's field in defense mode._

_Albedo spent some time picking cards from her hand and then changing her mind… so much time that Linear became noticeably irritated. He began shifting his stance and even went as far as to squat down to the ground while he waited._

"_Sorry," Albedo said. "I'm ready now. I'll set two cards and a monster."_

"_It took you that long to make a move like that?" Linear remarked snidely. "Geez. I'll summon Magna Drago (2/1400/600)." The holograms revealed a red dragon with thin-flesh wings and horns on its head._

_A large sound wave blasted across the field. "Threatening Roar prevents you from attacking during this turn."_

_Linear groaned. "Aw, man. Are you kidding me?" He looked at his facedown card again and reminded himself about his Mirror Force card. He would have used it already if Albedo would just declare an attack for once… instead of relying on those Kuriboh cards._

"_Don't worry," Leila told him. "I have a plan." She drew her card and said, "I'll summon Judgment Dragon (8/3000/2600)." A grand, majestic dragon with silver feathers and four, powerful legs descended onto Leila's field. "At the cost of 1000 Life Points, Judgment Dragon destroys every other card on the field." Her dragon closed its wings and charged its powerful energy, finally releasing it and evaporating anything the light touched—except Transmutation Circle – Albedo. "Now you're wide open for an attack." The Judgment Dragon stepped forward and slashed at Albedo directly with its enormous claws._

_Leila looked at her last card before she set it. As soon as her turn ended, Judgment Dragon would force her to send four cards from her deck to the Graveyard. Combined with her earlier effects of Lightsworn monsters and hand destruction spells, she would have exactly thirty cards in the Graveyard. That would allow her to activate her trap Blasting the Ruins and deal another 3000 points of damage to Albedo directly._

"_I'll set one card and end my turn."_

_Linear and Leila 8000 – 1000 = 7000: Albedo 4300 – 3000 = 1300._

_Albedo put her hands down at her side. "I guess that ends the duel." As the Transmutation Circle began to shine brightly, the ring of fire from Final Countdown became a solid ring and closed into the center of the field._

"_Wait!" Leila protested. "It was supposed to take one more turn. I was going to activate my trap card as soon as your turn started."_

_Albedo pointed out, "Pyro Clock of Doom moved everything forward one turn. The twentieth turn of Final Countdown happened at the end of your turn, and you can't activate your trap on the same turn you set it."_

* * *

"The light from that Transmutation card got so bright that pretty much everything turned white. By the time we could see again, the girl was gone and so were our cards." Linear huffed. "If that cheating card didn't keep giving her monsters at the end of every turn to cover her Life Points, we would have kicked her butt."

"That's weird," Bryan commented. "So this white-haired chick who looks like Matt also has some of his skill. What are the odds of that?"

"Infinitesimal," Matt replied immediately.

* * *

Baker was no longer a policeman, but he was prone to enacting some of those old habits when something unusual happened on campus. This evening, he tucked his kids in bed and informed his wife he would be on another late night, and then he decided to check the reported location of another card theft: Groundwater Road just down the mountain from the hot springs.

"The curfew rules are there for a reason," Baker announced loudly, promptly causing Matt to jump up, lose his balance, and tumble back into the dirt. When he regained his footing, Baker added, "You've got thirty minutes to be in your dorm."

"I wasn't sleeping," Matt lied. "I was just resting my eyes."

"Right. Why are you resting them here?"

Matt rubbed his face and took a few breaths. "I heard that I might have a real sister up here. I just wanted a look."

"A _blood_ sister?" That was news to Baker. All the background searches available didn't reveal any sisters. Even Matt's family name was a mystery. "How did you hear about a sister?"

"She dueled against Linear and Leila Locklear last night." He chuckled to himself. "They said she looked exactly like me. I guess we were quadruplets or something."

Baker's mind began to race. It was only one extra person, but the idea that Matt had yet another sibling running around campus caused the other pieces of the mystery puzzle to fall apart, like putting together a bookshelf and realizing you have a few bolts left over. Baker could believe that on an island this size, two people may be able to run around and steal a few Duel Monsters cards while eluding the police and everyone else. But with each increasing number, the probability of hiding dropped immensely. Baker tried to rotate the puzzle pieces mentally, which meant he stood there in silence for a while.

"I just want to know who they are," Matt said, breaking the silence. "With a foster father like mine, I always dreamed about my biological parents coming back for me and taking me somewhere amazing. A house with a pool, multiple TVs, my own room… I hoped maybe if I met these brothers and sisters everyone is claiming I have, they might be able to tell me something about my parents."

He chuckled again as a way of reminding himself he wasn't in some fantasy life, but sitting on a volcano path talking to a former police officer while waiting for someone who may or may not be his sister.

"Where's your partner tonight?"

"Who? Potter?" Baker wasn't a member of the police squad and so Potter wasn't actually his partner. It was just coincidence that whenever Baker participated in police work, Potter opted to escort him to pick up a few tips on detection and passing the detective exam. "He's got the night off; maybe on a date or something. Officers have variable shifts. Now get back to the dorm. Should I call the cadet escort for you?"

"I'll be fine." Matt stood and stretched his legs. "It'll be quicker if I jog back."

"Okay, but head straight back. I'm going to check the log to see what time your ID card scans to enter the building."

As Matt jogged back down the path and headed for the Blue Mansion, Baker wondered what could be happening to bring about three Matt clones, one transgendered. "More magic of some kind, I suppose…" It might take the knowledge of all the professors to figure this one out.

* * *

The Red Dorm wasn't often a big hang-out spot, but with midterms week at a close, freshmen definitely spent more time on the patio courtyard—playing on the basketball court and eating at the picnic tables—right until the very last minute before breaking curfew. Nathan Zislaw lay stretched out across the farthest picnic table, one colloquially referred to as Nathan's Napping Spot. Carter Jade sat at the same table chowing down on the food he hoarded from the dining hall after dinner. Rory and Lili played some two-on-two basketball against Clinton and Synthia, winning because Lili was a more aggressive player than Clint and Synthia combined. Jason sat at another table with Lucy, pretending to listen as she spoke and massaging her hand in hopes of getting her past her somewhat prudish resistance to physical affection.

"So then my dad decided he wanted to move to Manhattan for a change of scenery. But I think the real reason is that my mom's remarriage to that bodybuilder hit his ego pretty hard. The truth is, nothing's been the same since my brother died in that boating accident and my dad lost his arm to a shark."

"That's terrible," Jason replied, feigning concern as seriously as he could.

"That's… made up," Lucy said with a laugh. Jason quickly caught up with her and started laughing with her. She just chuckled at how transparent he could be sometimes. "I should get going. Curfew's in thirty minutes and I need to get back to my room."

Clamoring after her, Jason offered, "I'll walk you."

Lucy still couldn't shake the memory of the guy who attacked her just weeks ago. He knocked Jason out and claimed Lucy was evil before that police officer saved her. Still, she felt less secure since then, both regarding safety and her relationship with Jason.

"You don't need to. I'll call for the cadets. Kenny is driving the van tonight."

"Let me at least walk you to the rendezvous," Jason insisted. "It's still dark out, and you were attacked recently. I don't want to leave you alone."

Succumbing slightly to his sweet concern, Lucy touched the side of his face. Jason took the action as an invitation and pulled her into a kiss. It was not the first time they kissed, but it still caught Lucy a bit off guard at the moment. And she was very aware when Jason's hand crept up her right side. She pulled away and repeated her eagerness to get back to the dorm.

"Hold up," Clint called. He jogged away from the basketball court to join Jason and Lucy as they walked toward the road. When Jason asked if he was being a third wheel, he reminded, "You got knocked out last time you two went walking alone."

"We were in the woods," Jason pointed out. "I didn't see him coming."

"Still. I just want to make sure they don't try again."

"Suit yourself." He leaned in to whisper, "Stage 5 accomplished. And may I say: They feel amazing." Clint just patted him on the shoulder and congratulated him on a job well done.

"Why do all the guys fawn over her?" Lili wondered as she watched Clint jog over to Jason and Lucy. "She's pretty, but she's not _that_ good-looking."

Synthia chuckled. "He's going to make sure Jason doesn't get jumped again."

"Jumped?" Rory repeated. "I didn't hear about that. What happened?"

That's when Synthia remembered that she wasn't supposed to say anything about that. When Jason told Clint, he swore him to secrecy, and then Clint did the same thing when he told Synthia. None seemed to know the definition of "secret." And that's exactly why she said:

"About a month ago, Jason and Lucy were taking a walk when a bunch of guys jumped out and attacked them. Jason fought off four of them, but there were ten. Eventually, they overpowered Jason and injected him with something. That's why he was acting hung-over the next day."

Rory remembered, "Oh, yeah. That day he was acting like a zombie. He barely spoke a word."

"My favorite day," Lili commented.

Synthia laughed. "Anyway, Clint is worried that someone has a grudge against Jason because they didn't do anything to Lucy. He just wants to make sure his friend stays safe."

"Did Clinton tell you that story?" Lili asked. "And Jason told him?" Putting that story with what she knew about Jason, she concluded, "I think some of the facts are a little exaggerated. You know how Jason is."

"Probably," Synthia agreed. "Clint and I joked about that. But he still thinks Jason and Lucy were attacked. Probably not ten guys, but maybe two. That's why Clint's still concerned for his roommate's wellbeing."

"How sweet," Rory replied sincerely.

Lili just laughed. She thought the whole college dating scene was a little ridiculous around here. It seemed like only a handful of people were the objects of someone's affection. In this case, Rory had a chance to be with Clint, but she decided to pass over him and focus her efforts on Matt. Clint started seeing Synthia after that, and that made Rory a little jealous. And what bugged Rory slightly more was that unlike the average college campus, guys outnumbered the girls here, and Synthia was pretty cute; she tended to flirt and receive flirts from several other guys. That made Rory think Synthia wasn't fair to Clint, and Lili just observed from the third-person view while laughing at everyone involved.

"I'm heading inside," Lili said. "_Whose Line Is It Anyway_ is on."

Rory took the basketball and started to follow Lili… until they both heard Synthia's muffled cry. Lili turned just quickly enough to catch a glimpse of someone dressed in black pulling Synthia behind the courtyard wall and off toward the lake. She and Rory darted off in the same direction and caught up after a brief run around the building and into the darkness between the Red Dorm and their dining hall.

Lili tackled the abductor and forced him to release Synthia. But even though Lili was quite scrappy, the abductor was bigger than she was. He swung her into the wall of the dining hall hard and quickly pounced back on Synthia.

"Lili Von," he growled in a low, grim voice. "You can still walk away. I hold no grudge against you. I am only interested in these two."

"Two?" Rory asked, surprised to hear it. That suggested she was also a target. But who would have a problem with both of them? "What did I do?"

"You both have dark intentions in your hearts. I will not let you hurt these other people."

"Why don't we duel for it, then?" Lili offered confidently. "Isn't that how people solve problems around here? Let's go, tough guy."

"No," Synthia grunted. She wrestled against her abductor's grip and broke free. "You have a problem with me, right? I'll duel you." Though she carried her deck in a box on her belt, she wasn't wearing her Duel Disk. She looked over and saw that neither Lili nor Rory had theirs, either.

"We'll use that," her abductor declared. He pointed to the lakeside where one of many Kaiba Corp. duel stations sat, largely unused by anyone who owned a Duel Disk already. It was a terminal model, but it had all the same capacities as the Duel Disk minus the portability. Although it took slightly longer to activate than its smaller counterpart, setting up the duel didn't take long.

As Synthia started to draw her first card, the silent stalker quickly swiped his six cards from the deck. "A witch like you doesn't deserve the first turn," he snarled. He slapped down three cards and ended his turn. "Go ahead and try."

Synthia tried to fake a smile. "Y'all need to lighten up." Ignoring the slight nervous twitch in her fingers, she picked out a card. "Blizzard Dragon (4/1800/1000) is a good card to attack with." With blue scales and an icy around it, the Blizzard dragon was a man-sized creature with horns on the back of its head and webbed fingers that looked like wings when they curled up the forearm. The dragon pounded its hand on the ground and created a small iceberg to throw at Synthia's opponent.

"Dimensional Prison activates," he said. A black hole opened in front of him, and Synthia's monster disappeared inside the void. "Your attacking monster gets removed from play."

"Scary move," Synthia said with a grin. "I'll set a card and see what else you've got."

Her opponent made no effort to smile under his ski mask. "Card Trooper (3/400/400)." A three-piece robot with a blue, treaded base; a red, cannon-armed torso; and an astronaut-like fishbowl over its mechanical face rode onto the field. "Sending three cards from my deck to the Graveyard gives it 500 more points for each." His Card Trooper (+1900) fired three blasts from its cannons and struck Synthia directly. "Now it's your turn, you wicked creature."

Synthia 8000 – 1900 = 6100: ? 8000.

"That's a bit harsh," she replied. "But I accept your challenge. I'll summon Masked Dragon (3/1400/1100) and attack." A small, white wyvern with a red underside craned its neck back and whipped forward, snapping at the mechanical Card Trooper (-400).

The stalker activated his Trap; a pentacle symbol appeared on the floor with large, white dots at each point. "Macro Cosmos," he explained. "It remains on the field and forces all cards we send to the Graveyard to be removed from play instead. And I summon Helios – The Primordial Sun (1/+200/+200)." This monster was an almost invisible entity if her body were not covered in wraps; as suggested by her name, though, her head was a small star."

Lili flinched, but Synthia was still ready to move on. "I'll place another card facedown and let you try again."

Synthia 6100: ? 8000 – 1000 = 7000.

Her stalker sneered, obviously upset with Synthia's apparent pleasure in the face of confrontation. He whipped his next card much more wildly. "Card Destruction plus Macro Cosmos forces you to remove your hand from play and draw a new one." He did the same, but his words were focused on how detrimental the play was for Synthia. "I'll send Helios away to summon Golden Homunculus (6/+2700/+2700)." His powerful beast was a golden golem that drew 300 points of strength for each of the owner's removed-from-play cards.

"Good time for Torrential Tribute," Synthia suggested. "Whenever a monster is summoned, this trap destroys all monsters." A deluge flooded the field and wiped out her small wyvern and the mighty golem. Her stalker just sneered and ended his turn.

"Letting up on the insults already?" she asked him. "Shame. I'll summon Breaker the Magical Warrior (4/+1900/1000)." Wearing deep red armor with a matching cape and equipped with a sword in one hand and a shield in the other, Breaker gained a blue spell counter on his armor. "I'll use his ability to destroy your last facedown card, and then I'll attack directly." Breaker (-1600) released a burst of energy from his armor to shatter the potential trap, and then he took a quick swipe with his sword. "Your turn now."

Synthia 6100: ? 7000 – 1600 = 5400.

"Watch it, you insolent harlot." He growled and played an armored monster with golden gauntlets and a blue mantle. "Dimensional Alchemist (4/1300/200) can gain 500 points when I remove a card from my deck." His armored alchemist used a card as an energy source and began charging Dark Core energy between his hands; he released the energy forward and used it to destroy Breaker (1600). "One card down, and it's your turn, manipulative shrew."

Synthia 6100 – 200 = 5900: ? 5400.

"Where are you coming up with these?" Rory wondered. "You can't possibly be talking about Synthia like that."

He snarled and said, "My words apply to all women."

Synthia smiled lightly. "Okay, hun. Let's just finish the game, okay? I'll play Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy that Macros Cosmos of yours." A torrential storm covered the field, and a bolt of lightning shattered the trap card. "Now I can play Graceful Charity." An angelic woman wearing a white robe appeared in front of him and offered him three cards in one hand, demanding two in return in her other. "At this point, I'll summon Debris Dragon (4/1000/2000), and his effect summons Totem Dragon (2/400/200)." The former was a small, white, bipedal dragon that resembled a baby Stardust Dragon, and the latter was a turtle-like dragon with an extraordinarily long neck and a rounded face.

"Now I'll use Premature Burial to bring out one of my favorites: Buster Blader (7/2600/2300)." Synthia's monster, famously introduced to the game by the very first King of Games, was a tall, powerful warrior wearing blue armor and armed with an enormous cleaver. "He doesn't get the same power gains if he's not fighting dragons, but he's still a force," she claimed.

"Bottomless Trap Hole." The ground opened up beneath Buster Blader and sucked him into another dimension.

"Yeah, I'd be scareda him, too, if I was you. But I still got two monsters to attack with." Buster Blader slashed powerfully across the field, Debris Dragon released a series of sound waves, and Totem Dragon lunged out and snapped.

Synthia 5900 – 800 = 5100: ? 5400 – 1000 – 400 = 4000.

The stalker didn't even have to think about his cards. "I'll summon Bazoo the Soul-Eater (4/1600/900)." The enormous, blue-haired baboon sat lazily on the field for a moment until its effect activated and it began consuming a large egg. "I remove three monsters from my Graveyard to increase his points by 900. Now attack." Bazoo (+2500) finished eating and then lumbered across the field to slam his massive forearms on top of Totem Dragon (400). "One card down, and it's your turn."

"Before we go," Synthia said, "let me Tribute Debris Dragon to activate Nightmare Archfiends." Three impish shadows appeared on the opposite side of the field next to Bazoo. "You get three Nightmare Archfiend Tokens (6/2000/2000) on your side."

Synthia 5100 – 2100 = 3000: ? 4000.

"Here we go," Synthia said excitedly. "During my Standby Phase, Totem Dragon (400) revives itself because I have no monsters. Now I can treat it as a double Tribute when I summon Gandora the Dragon of Destruction (8/0/0)."

With black scales studded by red gems, clawed wings, a mighty tail, and jaws that could bite through a tree, the legendary dragon Gandora descended on Synthia's field. Rumors circled this dragon that the first King of Games once used it to defeat one of the world's greatest threats in a duel. Gandora stood tall and roared loudly at Synthia's unmoved opponent.

"For half my Life Points, all cards on the field get removed from play." The gems studding Gandora's scales shone brightly as they released powerful energy across the field. All five of her opponent's cards disappeared from play, including the three Archfiend Tokens. "Gandora (+1500) gains 300 points for each card removed, and he'll also attack." Gandora charged the field and slashed wildly at the opponent. "And don't forget that the destruction of each Nightmare Archfiend Token deals 800 points of damage to you." She watched the Life Point counter fall and said, "I guess I miscounted a smidge. But I do have a card to protect me." She set one card, and by its own effect, Gandora destroyed itself and went to the Graveyard.

Synthia 3000 / 2 = 1500: ? 4000 – 800 – 800 – 800 – 1500 = 100.

Her opponent scowled heavily. "I'll play Nobleman of Extermination." A large, armored man appeared on the field with a bastard sword in his hands. With one swipe, he shattered Synthia's facedown card. "Now I'll summon Necroface (4/1200/1800)." The monster on the field resembled a broken head of a plastic doll, but there was some organism with tentacles growing inside. And the monster continued to grow. "All removed-from-play cards are returned to the deck, and Necroface (+3200) gains 100 points for each."

With one last scowl, he added, "This duel is over."

Synthia 1500 – 3200 = 0: ? 100.

Synthia groaned lightly about the loss. The duel station's lights shone brightly as the system shut down. The lights were just bright enough for all three girls to lose sight of the black-clothed attacker. Lili tried to pull Synthia and Rory back toward the front of the dorm, but then she herself was pulled back and thrown to the ground. Rory screamed, but before the attacker could grab either her or Synthia, everyone heard a rather high-pitched war cry. Jason came barreling over the wall with Clint not too far behind.

The attacker quickly abandoned his plan and disappeared into the trees. Jason tried to follow him, but he was unable to see well in the darkness.

"Are you okay?" Clint asked as he helped both Synthia and Rory to their feet. They both claimed to be fine. Lili refused any assistance getting back to her feet; she just had the wind knocked out of her from slamming into the ground like that.

Before the attacker got too far, he shouted from the distance, "I was just protecting you from them!"

Clint was baffled. "Protecting who?" He looked to Jason for wisdom, hoping his experience could lend to this situation. "How does attacking someone protect anyone?"

"You have to think the person is a threat to someone else," Lili suggested. "So the questions becomes… Who thinks that Synthia, Rory, and Lucy are threats to you guys?"

"Someone who's jealous," Jason immediately concluded.

Rory disagreed. "There are definitely better ways to impress a girl than to attack her. Whoever it is has a problem with women." She remembered what the attacker said and looked to her roommate. "Except you, Lili."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "He didn't attack you? What does that mean? He's okay with single women?"

No one was certain what this guy was after, and no one was especially in the mood to figure it out. They decided to head inside and call the campus police. It didn't take long for Officer Potter to show up and take statements from everyone.

Carter sat at the picnic table, still consuming leftovers. "That was bold, grabbing her with so many people around. You think he's going to screw up the Ghost's plans?"

"Who cares?" Nathan replied. He never even bothered to look up. "As long as he doesn't make me do anything, I'll be happy."

* * *

_I hate that the auto-format on this site continues to delete symbols and page breaks I put into Word. That's my piece of wisdom for the week._

_Sorry for the delay. Five more chapters and this arc is complete.  
_

_Credits:_  
_Darius Mantzios...tiramisu19_  
_Jason Maxim...Maxim and Knight_  
_Nathan Zislaw...Mavrik Zero_  
_Hillary Delaney...Nodqfan144_  
_Lili Von...Happy2BMe_  
_Carter Jade...Jaden2010  
Mitsuro Itachu...Titanic X  
Sean Bivins...DarkVestroia2_  
_Naoto Kurotsuki...Kurotsuki Haru_  
_Hayley Wilson...TeamRocketDiva_  
_Maikeru Stone...onyxshade7  
Victor Rocks & __Abel Shinzou...Iron-Arm-V_  
_Alister Kazama & Jessica Parks...ZaneKazama001_  
_Synthia Spencer...Madly Chessur_  
_Leila & Linear Lockhart...Windraider_  
_Romulus Malligan...Maximus1  
Logan Wilson...MercWithTheMouth13_  
_Everyone else so far...YamiRuss_


	25. Whiteness

Chapter 25: Whiteness

Hayley Wilson was not a happy camper of late. When she woke up one night without underwear when she was sure she had it before going to bed, she decided that the nightly excursions by her more destructive alter Serpentina needed to end. It wasn't so bad when she was being rude to other people, but now she could end up getting them both injured, ill, or worse.

But who could she talk to about such an extreme and disputed mental disorder? She liked Dr. Kerr, but she was still out on maternity leave until the summer. Dr. Houtz was weird enough to be helpful, but she was more of a criminal psychologist. Hayley wasn't really comfortable asking Dr. Lankford much of anything. But maybe there was one teacher she had who she was comfortable talking to.

Erica Dawkins was currently covering Dr. Kerr's classes. On top of proving herself knowledgeable enough to teach said classes without getting stuck or tripped up often, and skilled enough to teach while working on her master's thesis, Erica was very friendly and completely approachable. The fact that she was just as pretty as Hayley gave Hayley a sense of connection and commonality, plus Erica's smaller stature made her less intimidating.

"Um, Erica?"

She looked up with a smile and asked, "Hey, Hayley. What can I do for you?"

"Uh…" Hayley wasn't exactly sure how to begin. Every time she practiced putting the words together in her head, she thought they sounded crazy. Everybody else already thought she was crazy without putting words to it.

"Do you hear any of the rumors on campus?"

Erica shook her head. "I hear all kinds of things, but I always take them with a grain of salt. It's real easy for stories to mutate as they go from person to person. Why? What's on your mind?"

Hayley just nodded silently. She was hoping that Erica would come out and suggest she had multiple personalities, and she could just explain from there.

"Do you know much about mental disorders?"

"I've studied abnormal psychology and took a clinical class. Why?"

It was somewhat annoying the way Erica continued to dance around the subject as if she didn't already know what Hayley was driving at. Was she just trying to force Hayley to say it? If that's the case… "I think I might have multiple personalities."

"You _think_?" Erica repeated. She definitely heard that already. "What makes you think that?"

Hayley laughed with anxious laughter. "Mostly from the stories people tell. They claim I act differently every day; sometimes I'm bitchy and sometimes I'm normal. And not just the regular kind of bitchy; I mean like yelling at butterflies for fluttering. Apparently I called it a jackass and told it to get out of my garden."

"That qualifies as bitchy. But do you have any real symptoms of multiple personalities? I mean, acting odd is one thing, but everyone has off days."

"The descriptions I hear are way off. I try to be good-mannered and polite, but Serpentina is short-tempered and emotional."

"Serpentina?"

"Yeah. She's totally in-the-moment whereas I try to consider consequences. It sounds like she has a thing for Vic Rocks. I'm starting to worry about what she does while I'm sleeping."

Erica understood that concern. But she wasn't a trained clinician and so she was unwilling to agree with that diagnosis. She did recommend Hayley go see a trained psychiatrist, but Hayley wasn't wild about that idea. For one thing, psychiatrists are expensive.

"Well, Dr. Apple is pretty much a know-it-all with psychology. His doctoral degree is in social psychology, but he has a master's in clinical. He might be willing to offer some information for free. He'll definitely know more than I do."

And so Erica took Hayley to see Dr. Oscar Apple. His knowledge ranged the widest of all the professors, which is one reason no one liked taking his tests; he always included information that he deemed thoroughly important but everyone else figured was completely trivial. Some students even suggested his receding hairline was a result of his hair trying to get away from his boring, trivial knowledge.

Just as Erica suspected, Dr. Apple was happy to share his knowledge with Hayley, who suggested she might have multiple personality disorder.

"That's an old term," he started. "The clinical term now is Dissociative Identity Disorder. In essence, it is the existence of two or more distinct identities that alternate control over a single person's behavior. From your description, it sounds like you have at least three personalities: you seem to be the primary personality bearing the guilt, Serpentina almost seems as your unconscious desires, and this Pan you mention may be a more blissfully oblivious personality."

"There's a pattern?"

"Undoubtedly. DID generally reflects some failure in a person's integration of consciousness—sometimes memory and sometimes identity itself. The alternate personalities experience their own names, self-image, and behavioral patterns, but they are always linked. Once the link is understood, it may even be easy to predict the change of control, or even make the change at will."

He smiled and said, "All of this is academic, of course. Listening to my description of the disorder is not an official diagnosis. I still do not know for certain that you suffer from DID."

"Oh, I definitely suffer," Hayley disagreed. "I find myself waking up and feeling more tired than when I went to sleep, and there's always some embarrassing story involved about something that I don't remember happening."

"The disorder is often started by heavy trauma and abuse in childhood. Did you suffer any?"

"Not that I know of."

"Well, certainly there was some trauma involved. Although abuse usually indicates physical and emotional trauma, I suppose it's possible for the trauma to be entirely emotional. Psychoanalyst Carl Jung might have referred to such a moment as the nigredo, or a moment of trauma and despair that precedes personal development, although in your case, it may well have caused a split in development. I suppose that's bound to happen once in so many developmental stages, and women do tend experience DID more often than men with no joke about PMS intended." Hayley gave him a baffled look in response to the way he was just rambling on.

"Anyway, I can't make an official diagnosis without a few more tests. Are you willing to endure several laboratory tests to get at the truth, including MRI to rule out complex partial seizures, blood tests to rule out substance abuse, and psychological testing to rule out Dissociative Amnesia, Dissociative Fugue, Depersonalization Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, Somatization Disorders, Personality Disorders, Schizophrenia, and other psychotic disorders?" He clicked his tongue a few times and commented, "Boy, that was a mouthful, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Hayley answered. "And yes. If it helps me get control, then I'll do anything."

With a great, big smile, Dr. Apple said, "Great! Let's get to it, shall we?"

"Knock, knock."

Naoto Kurotsuki looked up from his bed in the infirmary to see the first smiling face he'd seen in a while. The stress of the semester—plus the unofficial stress of challenging Nigredo—put excessive strain on Naoto and put him on bed rest for a large part of the semester. Dr. Nagell diagnosed him with angina pectoris, which was basically chest pain due to a lack of oxygen in the heart. With another week of rest and rehab, Naoto would be released, but with doctor-ordered limitations.

Now holding the rank of 1 on campus, Naoto wouldn't be able to go anywhere without being challenged to a duel, and Dr. Nagell made it clear with the professors that such stress could cause Naoto's symptoms to recur. Occasional duels would be acceptable, but constant high-stress situations were not; and with Naoto, no duel could be anything less than a full-effort game. Fortunately, he was able to accept the doctor's orders with humility now that he was Number 1, and he agreed to avoid the majority of duel requests.

But Mitsuro Itachu was one of Naoto's best friends. She visited him regularly, and was one of few students to do so without challenging him to a duel.

"How are you, Mr. Number 1?" she asked him. She always called him that.

"I feel better when you visit," he told her. "I watched the School Duel on Academy TV. Congratulations on your victory."

She smiled shyly. "Thanks. But you're about the only person to notice."

"That cannot be true. Everyone notices the winner of the School Duel."

"I wish I believed that," Mitsuro replied. "It feels like my duel was overshadowed by the stuff happening around campus, and the Spring duel is notorious for being lower key anyway; it's like Rocky beating Spider Rico."

"I do not know the reference."

Mitsuro smiled and waved it off. "Classic American movie series about a washed-up boxer who becomes world champ."

"You are not washed up," Naoto assured her. "You are ranked Number 6 at the most prestigious Duel Monsters institution in the world."

"Yeah. I just feel like if I'm not attacking anyone in the middle of the night and I don't have a doppelganger running around campus stealing cards, then no one cares about me. Did you know this School Duel had some of the lowest ratings in years? Ratings haven't been this low since TVs were in black and white."

"Now that must be an exaggeration," Naoto objected. Mitsuro admitted she was just going for effect. That's when Naoto offered his sage advice. "If you want to make a name for yourself, you must go out there and do it." In response to her baffled look, he further described, "Whether it is challenging the top duelist or finding Matt's doppelganger, do something people will notice. Half the people who see me here ask for a duel; the other half want to hear about Matt's doppelganger. They all want to hear how I defeated the man whose worm deck defeated Victor Rocks."

Mitsuro silently regarded the story. Kenny was one of her best friends and was the lead supervisor of the campus cadets; he told her that Matt was caught near the hot springs several times well after curfew, just sitting on the path and waiting like he expected someone specific to show up. What if that person was actually…?

Cary wasn't surprised to see employees of the hot springs leaving the area, but she was surprised to see someone walking back up the path. At first she thought it might be an extra security guard keeping an eye on the area to keep out any students who might try for private, after-hours visits. But as the figure got closer, she recognized Mitsuro's blue coat.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

Mitsuro looked from Cary to Matt and back. "I just thought I'd check up on Matt. I hear he's been caught here sleeping a number of times."

"For about a month now," Cary agreed. "He thinks he'll find his female look-alike out here. He's even more confused than the rest of us. He has no idea who these people are."

"I can only imagine how tough and stressful that is for him. It just surprises me how many other people care."

"Are you kidding? Three other people with Matt's skill at dueling? How can anyone at Duel Academy be uninterested in their origins?" Cary was certainly fascinated. Imagine the probability of Matt's being raised by as negligent a foster family as one can find outside of a kids' movie, separated from any twins or siblings, yet he becomes a master duelist very quickly, and so were those siblings who were raised by completely different families. That was as good a case for a genetic component to dueling as ever there was one.

"Are you looking for me?"

Cary turned quickly to see where the female voice came from. True to the rumors, the owner of the voice looked like Matt if he had breasts and white hair. She wore a white Duel Academy jacket, a color not offered in the clothing section of the bookstore, and black pants. She was slightly taller and thinner than Matt, but she had his same overall body mass. It was odd seeing the two of them so close together; it was really like comparing two pictures of the same person after one was modified.

"You must be that girl the Locklear twins described," Cary commented. "Are you Matt's sister?"

"I don't know Matt," Albedo replied. "I've heard his name, but I've never met him before." She looked down at Matt's sleeping visage. She looked surprised. "Is that him?" She tilted her head to the side and asked, "He looks a lot me, doesn't he?"

"That's an understatement. Who are you? Where did you come from?"

Albedo just shook her head and smiled. "I'm not really sure. I don't understand the process. All I know is that I'm either two months old or eight months old, depending on how you look at it."

"Two months old?" Mitsuro repeated incredulously. "And you look like that? Are you even human?"

"She's probably making it up," Cary suggested.

Albedo seemed hurt. "Why would I do that? And that seems like a silly lie to make. Why make a claim that is so outlandish unless it just has to be true?"

Cary wanted to be patient and find out exactly what this blonde girl's relationship was with Matt, but Mitsuro seemed to have a different agenda. She quickly accused, "You guys have been stealing cards from everyone on campus."

"I have never stolen a single card," Albedo replied defensively. "They were sacrifices to the Transmutation Circle that empowers me."

"What does that mean?" asked Cary.

"See if you can take mine!" Mitsuro challenged and held up her deck, completely ignoring Cary's request for information. Albedo responded in kind by raising her own Duel Disk. "Good," Mitsuro said with a grin. "When I beat you, you have to return all those cards you 'sacrificed.'" She added air quotes and an irritated voice when she spoke that last word.

"That was always the agreement," Albedo replied. "I have yet to be beaten." She drew her first cards and prepared to start the duel.

"Hang on," Cary argued. She stepped up assertively and forced her own Duel Disk to connect to the duel. "I'm in on this one, too, though I can't see what the friggin' hurry is." She shot Mitsuro a glare, but she was only paying attention to Matt's female doppelganger. For some reason unrealized to Cary, Mitsuro didn't care anything about Albedo's origins; she just wanted to duel.

When the three Duel Disks connected, Albedo started the duel.

"First I'll play Upstart Goblin." A green goblin in gaudy garb appeared on the field and offered 500 points apiece to Mitsuro and Cary in exchange for giving Albedo another draw. She shook her head when she saw the card. "Let's try Hand Destruction." A sprite with a round, yellow head and wearing silver samurai armor appeared on the field and slashed at all players' hands with a single swipe of his sword; each player discarded two cards and drew two new ones. "That's better. I'll play Final Countdown."

Twenty flames sprouted from the ground and encompassed the field. "Each turn, the flames spread; when they all connect after twenty turns, the duel ends and I win. In the meantime, I'll set one monster and play Nightmare's Steelcage." A heavy, steel cage with spikes at every connecting node appeared on the field, specifically covering half of Cary's and Mitsuro's fields. (It couldn't surround them completely because the hologram projectors didn't go back that far.)

Cary 8000: Mitsuro 8000: Albedo 8000 – 2000 = 6000.

"I have Johnny Cash stuck in my head now," Cary commented. Her turn was simpler: "I'll summon Mist Valley Falcon (4/2000/1200)." Her monster was a man dressed in light, leather armor, with wings on his back and a claymore in his hand. "Tell me more about this using-cards-for-energy thing."

"No one cares," Mitsuro interrupted. She pulled her cards and slapped one down. "I'll summon Submarine Ohio-Class (4/1400/1200)." The body of a black submarine appeared on the ground as if surfacing from the dirt. A facedown card also appeared on her field. "Now let's see what you've got."

The steel cage trapping Cary and Mitsuro disappeared suddenly. Albedo admitted, "The downside to dueling two opponents is that Nightmare's Steelcage only lasts through two of your End Phases, and you've already had them." She just shrugged and said, "Oh well. I'll flip up my monster." Her field showed an image resembling a mummified, two-humped camel. "When Des Lacooda (3/500/600) flips, I get to draw a card." She looked at her card, and then the camel disappeared. "Once per turn, I get to flip my monster face down again. I'll also set another monster."

Cary tried to keep talking, but Mitsuro stubbornly requested they duel first and talk later. Mitsuro was eager to win a duel against one of Matt's family. "At least tell me where you came from," Cary requested of Albedo while she played her cards. She started by activating Dragon Canyon, which created tall cliffs on either side of the field; she discarded and used its effect to bring a Dragunity monster to her hand.

"I was born here," Albedo explained. "On this island."

"That doesn't make any sense," Cary repeated. "You said you are two months old. That's just not possible. Any chance you have amnesia?"

Mitsuro huffed, "Any chance you're going to continue this duel?" Cary grudgingly sent her Falcon away to summon Dragunity Arms Misteil (6/2100/1500), a yellow-scaled, bipedal dragon with one set of scaled wings and one set of feathered wings and armed with a large sword in hand. Using its own effect, Misteil equipped itself with Dragunity Corseca, a pink-scaled dragun with a long, thin snout—like a sword on its nose.

"You haven't always lived here," Cary deduced while she played her cards. "If you had, someone in the past two years would have mentioned your resemblance to Matt—especially if you are a talented enough duelist to defeat Duel Academy students. So where did you come from?" She had Misteil (2100) target the facedown Des Lacooda (600) and destroy it; Corseca's effect let Cary take another dragon card from her deck and put it in her hand.

"I've lived here my whole life," Albedo replied.

"Yeah, yeah. Both months," Mitsuro agreed impatiently. She had her submarine launch an attack—via a barrage of missiles—on Albedo's other monster, which turned out to be Marshmallon (3/300/500), a pink, gelatinous monster that absorbed the shock of the attack and remained on the field; one of the missiles, however, bounced back and burned Mitsuro.

"Sorry. When a facedown Marshmallon is attacked," Albedo explained, "you take 1000 points of damage."

"I know," Mitsuro commented. "I'll set another card and a monster."

Cary 8000: Mitsuro 8000 – 1000 = 7000: Albedo 6000.

Cary knew Mitsuro had to realize by now that Albedo's strategy was obviously one in which she stalled long enough for Final Countdown to take effect. Marshmallon was a pretty clear choice for such a strategy. That meant Mitsuro's typical strategy of counterattacking a powerful enemy wasn't going to work. Albedo was probably the worst opponent for Mitsuro to face.

"Now that you know my cards," Albedo said, "I'll protect myself a little longer with Swords of Revealing Light."

"Hah, ha!" Mitsuro laughed proudly. A barrage of torpedoes from a source underneath her submarine struck the Swords and destroyed them immediately. "I knew you'd try something like that, so I set up a Naval Assault trap to negate your Spell's effect."

Albedo just nodded acceptingly. "Okay. I'll set another card and end my turn."

"No monsters?" Cary noticed. But she didn't really care about the duel as much as figuring out who Albedo was and where she came from.

"Who are your parents?" Cary asked Albedo. When Mitsuro glared again, Cary discarded again to activate Dragon Canyon and draw a Dragunity monster to her hand. She summoned Dragunity Aklys (2/1000/800). The red dragon covered almost entirely with silver armor that ended in a blade over the dragon's head activated its own effect to summon another monster; Dragunity Arms Laevatein (8/2600/1200), an orange-scaled biped with prominent feathered wings and lesser scaled wings armed itself with a sword that had a hooked blade, but it also equipped Aklys on one arm and Dragunity Pilum—a green dragon whose black armor made its head resemble a screwdriver—on the other.

"I only have a father," Albedo claimed. "I don't even have a mother."

"You mean that metaphorically?"

Albedo shook her head. "Literally. My father created me without giving me a mother." She pointed to Matt and said, "His mother didn't want anything to do with me. I've never met her."

"Wait. You know who Matt's mother is?"

"Yeah. Who do you think our father was competing with when he created me?"

Even Mitsuro couldn't ignore the conversation going, but neither she nor Cary understood it. And she apparently wasn't as concerned with figuring out Matt's past as Cary was. She urged Cary to talk while dueling.

"Who is his mother?" Cary activated the effect of Pilum to cut Laevatein's (-1300) points in half for a direct attack; the orange dragon thrust its arm over Marshmallon, and the extended reach of the screwdriver-headed dragon enabled Laevatein to reach its target.

"I don't know her name," Albedo said as she activated Scrap-Iron Scarecrow, a metal scarecrow that blocked the attack from reaching Albedo directly. Cary had no other moves.

"Good," Mitsuro huffed. "I'll flip up my Assault Ship (4/1500/1200), and it summons two Assault Tokens (2/1000/1000) to the field." A large-deck ship, one that resembled an aircraft carrier, appeared on the field; two helicopters flew from the deck and hovered in the air. "I'll Tribute one of those Tokens to summon Destroyer Class – USS Guardian (6/2400/2500)." A long, sleek, blue-colored ship sailed onto the field with weapons at the ready. "By paying 1000 Life Points, USS Guardian can attack directly during this turn."

Suddenly a heavy sound wave burst through the air and forced Mitsuro past her Battle Phase. "Threatening Roar prevents you from declaring an attack this turn," Albedo said. Mitsuro clenched her fist and ended her turn.

Albedo drew and immediately let out a giggle. "Alright! I'll activate Transmutation Circle – Albedo!" A white ring surrounded the field outside of the ring of fire. "I have to remove a card from my deck from play, and you two each take one from your Extra Decks." Albedo removed Solemn Judgment, and Mitsuro huffed while she removed USS Liberation, her key trump card.

Cary removed Dragunity Knight – Gae Bulg, but she wasn't missing much because her deck was built to support her Extra Deck. She cared more about this Transmutation Circle; Albedo mentioned earlier that the Circle is what gave her power. Albedo summoned Cyber Valley—a metal serpent with empty eyes and studded with red gems—to end her turn.

"Tell me about that Transmutation Circle," Cary requested while she discarded again for Dragon Canyon's effect. "What were you saying about it earlier?"

As Cary summoned Dragunity Darkspear (3/1000/1000), a black dragon with a snout shaped like a broadsword blade, Albedo told her, "The Transmutation Circle takes the spirit energy hidden within players' rarest, most powerful cards and uses it to feed my growth. It's the way my father designed the Circles." Cary looked down at the field and noted all the lines within the circle, connecting the perimeter at five primary points. That design apparently meant something.

"How does it work?" Cary used Darkspear's effect to send Laevatein to the Graveyard in order to summon Dragunity Dux (4/+2300/1000), a man wearing armor shaped like a giant falcon. With Laevatein in the Graveyard, Aklys's effect activated to destroy Marshmallon.

"It's energy transference," Albedo answered vaguely. "The energy from the cards powers the circle. The energy then travels through the circle and straight into me. Sometimes, energy from the duelists also travels through the circle—if the duelist actually cares about the card, anyway." While Albedo spoke, Misteil moved to attack Cyber Valley, but Albedo removed the serpent from play in order to draw a card and end the battle phase.

Suddenly, energy from the Transmutation Circle sparked and created Marshmallon (500). "Oh, yeah. Sometimes, energy from the circle is used to revive a monster on my field."

Cary nodded. "I heard. I just wanted to figure out if there were any restrictions."

Albedo shook her head. "No. No matter how it's destroyed, the monster gets revived from the Graveyard."

"Nice waste of a play," Mitsuro suggested. "If you knew that would happen, you should have picked a different card to destroy." She drew her cards and slapped down "Upgrade boosts the power of my Destroyer Class ship and gives it 500 points. And when I remove it, it destroys your…"

"Don't press that button," Cary cautioned. "The Locklear twins also told me the Transmutation Circle can't be destroyed. You'll waste your Upgrade if you try it."

"Fine," Mitsuro agreed as she canceled her move on the Duel Disk and set up another. "Upgrade gives USS Guardian (+2900) extra points, and I'll aim all of them at you directly by paying another 1000 Life Points."

A rocket-powered scarecrow, composed of scrap metal built on a scythe shot past the field and intercepted all the missiles from Mitsuro's ship. "I'll discard Swift Scarecrow," Albedo said. "That negates the attack and ends the Battle Phase." And to finish the turn, Swift Scarecrow (1/0/0) reappeared on the field in defense mode.

Cary 8000: Mitsuro 7000 – 1000 = 6000: Albedo 6000.

Albedo set a card and ended her turn.

Cary drew and laughed nervously to herself. "This is so similar to the Shadow Realm last year. All this magic stuff… It's a frickin' wonder anybody still goes to this school." She summoned Dragunity Phalanx (2/500/1100), a blue dragon wearing gold armor, and its armor rang until it resonated perfectly with Dragunity Arms Misteil (6). When the two monsters merged, the result was Dragunity Knight – Barcha (8/+3200/1200), a winged man riding on the back of a powerful, blue dragon. The needled head of Brandistock, the screwdriver-shaped head of Pilum, the bladed head of Aklys, and the pronged armor of Phalanx all equipped to the Barcha's dragon body.

"This turn is a little complicated," Cary admitted. "Barcha gains 300 points for each equipped Dragunity monster. Pilum lets Barcha attack directly at half power, but Brandistock lets them attack twice per turn." As soon as Barcha flew over Marshmallon and pulled back its javelin, the Dragon Knight turned back to Cary's field. "What?"

Albedo smiled behind her Trap. "Scrubbed Raid lets me send Marshmallon to the Graveyard to end the Battle Phase." Her smile got bigger when Cary ended her turn and Marshmallon came back. "You see where this is going now?"

"I do," Mitsuro commented. "Luckily, I can still send Upgrade to the Graveyard to destroy that stupid Trap card." Her ship loaded its weapons again and fired. "That means that, once gain, USS Guardian (2400) can attack directly. And this time, you have nothing to stop me with." The missiles continued their trajectory for once and finally landed the first damage to Albedo that wasn't self-inflicted. "That should do nicely for now."

Cary 8000: Mitsuro 6000: Albedo 6000 – 2400 = 3600.

Albedo started with Pot of Greed, a green pot with a goofy face that provided her two new cards. "All defense is tough against the two of you," Albedo admitted, "but I think I have it figured out now. To start, this card is so powerful that you students aren't allowed to use it: Raigeki!" A bolt of lightning struck the field, and a series of equally powerful bolts struck all monsters on Cary's and Mitsuro's fields, destroying them all.

"How did that happen?" Mitsuro asked. "Cards like that are supposed to be forbidden, and even so, it only affects one opponent during a team duel."

"But we are not part of a team," Cary pointed out. "You made sure of that for some reason when I had to force my Duel Disk into the duel you started. Why were you in such a hurry, anyway? You've done everything but kick me out of this duel." Cary suddenly realized what Mitsuro's problem was. "Almost like you think that you have to be the one to win this duel to prove a point."

"I do not," Mitsuro argued defensively. "I just want to stop this chick from stealing anymore cards."

"That won't happen," Albedo assured her. "I'll play Swords of Revealing Light." Six shining swords composed of light slammed down on Cary's and Mitsuro's fields. "As long as these swords are in play, you can't attack."

Cary wasn't especially concerned with that, however. As she drew her card, she asked, "Who is your father?"

Suddenly Albedo blushed. It was certainly noticeable against her inordinately pale skin. "What? I can't tell you that. I can't betray my father."

"Why not?" Cary asked. "Tell me who he is." She pointed to Matt. "Tell _him_ who it is! He really wants to know who his father is."

Albedo shook her head. "No, I can't. He'd be upset if I spoiled the surprise before he's ready. My brother is the real goal."

"Goal?" Cary repeated. "What do you mean by that?" Albedo started stammering to herself that she didn't mean to say anything and that she wouldn't say more.

"She'll tell you when I defeat her," Mitsuro tried to console Cary.

Cary just huffed. "Yeah. I'll just summon Debris Dragon (4/1000/2000), and his effect also brings Dragunity Tribus (1/500/300) from the Graveyard." Debris Dragon was a white dragon that looked like a hatchling Stardust Dragon, and Tribus was a winged man dressed in clothing to look like a large quail. Her hand consisted of Alector, Sovereign of Birds, D. Tribe, and Terraforming, leaving her with few real options. "I'll set one card and end my turn."

Mitsuro drew and hoped to pull together a major combo. She didn't have any big monsters, and even if she did, her only hope against Marshmallon was to use USS Guardian's direct attack ability. "I'll start with Salvage Yard to put a card from my Graveyard on top of my deck." A series of metal hooks and levers reached into the Graveyard and pulled up parts of a broken ship. "Now Pot of Greed lets me draw two cards from my deck." The same green pot with the goofy grin that resides in every duelist's deck appeared and gave Mitsuro two more cards. "And now, I'll summon Destroyer Class – USS Guardian (6/-1200/-1250) without a Tribute, even if its power gets cut."

"Swords of Revealing Light prevent direct attacks, too," Albedo reminded her.

"I know. That's why I'm playing Naval Protocol." The guns on her half-powered ship began firing directly into the Swords, disrupting the light and eliminating the effect. "It destroys one face-up Spell on the field. That means I can still attack directly with USS Guardian (1200). And maybe on my next turn, I can figure out how to finish you off completely."

Cary 8000: Mitsuro 6000 – 1000 = 5000: Albedo 3600 – 1200 = 2400.

"You won't get another turn," Albedo told her. She pointed to the ring of flames around the field; they were almost completely connected. Mitsuro knew every turn counted toward Final Countdown, except she forgot the turn it was activated still counted… Plus, she somewhat lost track between three players.

"I don't even need to do anything," Albedo claimed. "Between Marshmallon and my Scarecrow, you'd need a heavy direct attack to finish this duel. But I'll set a card, anyway."

Cary nodded. "I know. But if anyone can do it, I can." She saw the OTK badge on her jacket and remembered that she was one of the strongest duelists out there, and she could come back from this.

But when she touched her deck, she felt an odd warmth. It gave her a feeling of calm and strength, even though she'd never seen the card before.

"Weird," she uttered.

"What?" Mitsuro groaned.

"I've heard of this card once before, but it was never in my deck."

"So you forgot you put it in. Will it help?"

Cary grinned. "Oh, yeah. I'll play Chrysopoeia!" Suddenly the field was bathed in a golden light, and Marshmallon's body turned into the shape of Des Lacooda—that mummified, two-humped camel from Albedo's deck. "Apparently, this card enables me to declare the name of any monster, and if it exists in any deck or hand, that monster is sent to the Graveyard and one monster on the field adopts the same name, type, and attribute of that monster."

Albedo looked confused. "And? Marshmallon's effect is still in play even if his name changed."

"For now. But you see, when you have two monsters with the same attribute on the field, such as Des Lacooda (Earth) and Swift Scarecrow (Earth), I have the capacity to summon Alector, Sovereign of Birds (6/2400/2000)." The monster that appeared on the field was a man with red wings armed in shiny, silver armor; the wind gusted around him as if bending to his whim. "Next? Alector's ability negates the effect of a card on the field, like your Marshmallon. Now it can be destroyed."

"You'd better have another monster if you want to declare enough attacks for that," Mitsuro pointed out.

"I don't. All I've got is Terraforming. But I don't need it. You see, even I get a dead draw every now and then, and I'm betting Albedo does, too. It may not seem like a dead draw, but no card is useful in every single situation, is that right? That's why I'm betting on this strike right here:

"I'll activate D. Tribe to turn Alector into a dragon-type monster for this turn." Her armored man's wings turned heavy and scaly while retaining the same basic shape. "And by tuning Alector (6) with Debris Dragon (4), I can summon Trident Dragion (10/3000/2800)!" When the resonating monsters faded, they left behind a powerful dragon with red scales, three heads, and a wingspan the length of the field.

"That's a strong dragon," Albedo admitted.

"And stubborn, too," Cary agreed. The dragon bit into Dragunity Tribus and Dragon Canyon. "By destroying two cards on my field, Trident Dragion gains an additional two attacks during the Battle Phase this turn. So let's see… You have two monsters, Marshmallon's effect is negated, and I have three attacks from a colossal dragon. I like those odds." Her dragon took a deep breath and began to spew fire from each head. Marshmallon and Swift Scarecrow intercepted two of the flames, but the third continued straight past them and collided with Albedo.

Cary 8000: Mitsuro 5000: Albedo 2400 – 3000 = 0.

The flames surrounding the field faded, but the light of the Transmutation Circle grew brighter until it blinded both Cary and Mitsuro. Cary wanted to see exactly what happened when the circle's energy circulated so thoroughly, but she couldn't keep her eyes open. She felt the heat and intensity from the Transmutation Circle grow all around her for almost thirty seconds.

The energy ceased its circulation and the circle faded, and when Cary looked up, her opponent was gone; Albedo disappeared.

"What happened?" Mitsuro asked. "What was that light?"

Cary just shook her head. "I don't know. Some kind of energy transfer." As she wondered what happened to Albedo during that flow, she looked down at Matt, who was still sleeping awkwardly on the ground. "I'm sorry. She wouldn't tell me who your father is." As she uttered those words, she realized, "But he does live on this island."

_

* * *

_

_Albedo's last card was My Body As A Shield. Like Cary said, it was potentially helpful, but not in that specific situation. The surging energy from the Transmutation Circle also shut down the Duel Disks, which is why Cary and Mitsuro weren't required to duel one another to finish it... but they probably would have just shut down the duel, anyway at that point._

_I forgot to mention last week that I was successful in my NaNoWriMo debut. I made it to 60,000 words; the real trouble was finishing the story before the deadline. Maybe one day that story will make it into a real novel._..

_Anyway, just four more chapters until the arc ends. Good thing, too, because I'm having a hard time coming up with things for the opponents to say without giving too much of the ending away. A new opponent makes his appearance next week to face another of Matt's rivals, and Lucy gets called out alone in the middle of the night. I wonder who it is?_

_Credits:_  
_Darius Mantzios...tiramisu19_  
_Jason Maxim...Maxim and Knight_  
_Nathan Zislaw...Mavrik Zero_  
_Hillary Delaney...Nodqfan144_  
_Lili Von...Happy2BMe_  
_Carter Jade...Jaden2010  
Mitsuro Itachu...Titanic X  
Sean Bivins...DarkVestroia2_  
_Naoto Kurotsuki...Kurotsuki Haru_  
_Hayley Wilson...TeamRocketDiva_  
_Maikeru Stone...onyxshade7  
Victor Rocks & __Abel Shinzou...Iron-Arm-V_  
_Alister Kazama & Jessica Parks...ZaneKazama001_  
_Synthia Spencer...Madly Chessur_  
_Leila & Linear Lockhart...Windraider_  
_Romulus Malligan...Maximus1  
Logan Wilson...MercWithTheMouth13_  
_Everyone else so far...YamiRuss_


	26. Awakening Logic

Chapter 26: Awakening Logic

Once upon a time, a small apartment house Takato—two stories tall with six bedrooms and named for the man who designed it—was built at the edge of the Duel Academy campus. Its original purpose was to act as temporary housing for construction workers and contractors who helped to build Duel Academy and implement its many innovations. As time passed, Duel Academy expanded and the town of Kazuki grew into a small city. The Takato building was essentially abandoned as contractors began to use more lavish hotels, or even settled into homes of their own.

One day, after countless mystical events surrounding the Egyptian God Cards and the Sacred Beasts, Seto Kaiba decided not to hide the cards, but to put them to use somewhere he could keep an eye on them. He chose to give them to the strongest students in his recently founded Duel Academy. But any students who deserved that kind of praise deserved corresponding luxury, like living in a quieter place outside of the main dorms. Ultimately, he took that small contractor house and renovated it, turning it into the Guardian House for the six Guardian Duelers who possessed god cards.

Lucy Mercer lived in the Guardian House for one full year as a sophomore. She earned herself Obelisk the Tormentor, but a series of events surrounding the Shadow Realm caused the god cards all to disappear from the campus. As a result, the Guardian House was closed once again and now sat on the edge of campus as an abandoned building. And Lucy was always cautious whenever she received anonymous notes calling her out to abandoned buildings.

"Why ask me?" Matt argued with her. "The note says to come alone, and I have no interest in finding some Freddy Krueger wannabe out there."

"Freddy Krueger attacked kids while they were asleep," she pointed out.

"Even worse. When I'm defenseless like that?"

"No. He attacked in their dreams."

"All the more reason to avoid this guy."

Lucy knew Matt was just using playful banter as a way to talk her out of following the request written on the note. So many apparent reasons sprang to mind explaining why going to the Guardian House at all was a bad idea. If it was the same guy who attacked Lucy a few weeks ago, he might do something worse than request a duel.

"I really don't like this idea," Matt repeated to her. "Who knows what that guy would have done to you if Potter hadn't been there last time? And I hear he attacked Rory and Synthia, too. He's obviously a maniac. He has everybody on edge these days. And you're submitting to a personal favor."

"But I don't think it's the same guy," Lucy explained. She showed him the note again. "Something about this strategy just doesn't seem like that guy's M.O."

Matt reread the note quietly to himself while Lucy repeated it to herself. She already memorized it during her many attempts to analyze the words and determine who wrote it:

_Lucy,_

_Meet me at the Guardian House tomorrow after curfew. Please come alone._

"There's no real menace in the note. He asks me to _meet_ him; he calls it the 'Guardian House' instead of Takato; there's no threat of what happens if I'm not alone…"

"All good points," Matt agreed. "Plus, that 'please' in there is a little out of place."

"Exactly. So I don't think it will be that bad."

"Then why do you need me?"

She pouted in an effort to think of a less girly way to say she was still scared. "Maybe someone will attack me on the way over there or on the way back. Didn't you say you were a big fan of the buddy system back in high school?"

"Yes, when that meant being paired up after dark with Lauren Montgomery." He put his hand gently on Lucy's shoulder and added, "No offense. You are perhaps the most perfectly symmetrical woman I've ever met. But there's enough drama in your dating life without trying to pull my drama in, too." As an afterthought, he added, "Speaking of drama, why not take Jason? Isn't he tall and lustful? I'm sure he'd trip over the chance to protect you in the dark."

"I'm sure he would. But I need someone to keep me safe—not try to seduce me. Jason is definitely eager for the next step. I am not there yet." She smiled at Matt and said, "And I've heard your sexy talk. It's like being on an episode of FRIENDS." He wouldn't argue with that.

Ultimately, Matt agreed to go with her; he had no desire to leave her out on the edge of campus by herself, after all. It was bad enough she was sneaking out after curfew, although Matt found little difficulty doing that on a regular basis. Maybe after he took Lucy to and from the Guardian House, he would chance upon one of his look-alikes running around the island.

As always, the Guardian House was dark. No one was allowed inside, so why bother turning the lights on?

"It's locked," Lucy said as she tried the door. "I guess we wait out here."

"I'll get it." Matt stepped up to the door and produced a key.

"Why do you have a key?"

"Why _don't_ you have a key?"

"Because they made me give it back when I moved out. Why didn't they make you give your key back?"

"What key?" Matt asked playfully. "I never lived here, and so officially, I do not possess a key to this building." He pulled the key away from the door and turned the knob. "Besides, it's not locked."

He slowly pushed the door open and peered into the dark room to see who or what might be waiting. Lucy followed closely, but by the time she stepped through the door, Matt already disappeared into the shadows. She tried whispering after him, but being in the dark suddenly rendered her voice nonexistent.

She could barely make out a silhouette in the living room area; it stood up where the couch used to be. "Lucy?"

Lucy gasped when suddenly there was a loud yell followed by a loud crash. She heard Matt's voice laugh and taunt, "Tackling a stalker over a couch? I used to be a star defensive end."

"Then I'll have to call 'roughing the passer,'" another, very familiar voice countered, "because I don't even have the ball!"

Lucy recognized that voice, and apparently Matt did, too. "Bro?" When she moved the curtain from the window and let in the moonlight, Lucy could see clearly that Matt had just tackled Bryan and was now helping him to his feet.

"I just wanted to talk to Lucy," Bryan complained. "I didn't know she was going to bring Sergeant Sack with her."

"You invited me out to the woods alone at night," Lucy pointed out. "And you didn't even sign your name." Suddenly she felt very shy. "What did you want to talk about?"

Bryan was silent for a moment as he put his hands in his pockets and stepped closer to Lucy. "Are you really in love with that bird man?"

"You mean Jason?" She shook her head slightly. "Are you in love with that biker chick?"

Lucy and Bryan stood there staring at one another in the moonlight for a moment. She felt like it was forever since the last time she felt that look of longing from him. She'd forgotten how tall he was, too. She suddenly found herself pressing into his chest, feeling his heart beat quickly as he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her back.

"God, I've missed you," he said.

"I forgive you," she told him and turned up to kiss him. It was the first time in a long time she could remember feeling so happy.

When she and Bryan finally came up for air, she turned to tell Matt she'd be okay on her own now, but Matt already disappeared. The door was locked and she and Bryan were all alone.

"I've always liked that guy."

* * *

Matt wasn't going to be a third wheel while Bryan and Lucy finally addressed their issues. As far as he could see, those two were finally getting over themselves and getting back together. Maybe absence does make the heart grow fonder sometimes.

Seeing them look ecstatic as they gazed into one another's eyes made Matt feel a little bit lonely. Technically, he and Kasumi hadn't broken up or anything, but he also hadn't seen much of her in a while. Lately, she'd been focused on dueling all the time. Matt never accepted her requests because the outcome would be a lose-lose situation for him—whether he lost credibility for losing a duel or lost her affection for beating her in an official duel—but everyone else in school did.

And everyone else lost. Badly.

Ever since Kasumi got in that fight, she'd been different. She was angrier and a much more powerful and aggressive duelist. And even though she still sent Matt text messages all the time asking where he was and who was with him, she always declined his offers to get together. Matt hardly felt like they were dating anymore—more like one of those couples who only stay together in name to avoid paying taxes or something.

Rather than going to see someone who always sounded angry when he called, Matt decided to drop in for a visit with someone who pushed for _more_ face time.

That meant heading for the Red Dorm.

* * *

Ten o'clock was curfew for a number of specific events. All students had to be inside their respective dormitories, and young men and women could not create any co-educational floors; in other words, the guys could not be on the women's floor, and vice-versa. But the lobby and the basement were still fair game. Some students gathered in the sitting room to watch the big TV while others went to the basement to use the duel station. Multiple students ridiculed the technology of the duel station, but the fact remained that only half of the incoming freshman class each year possessed personal Duel Disks upon enrollment; they weren't required during the first year because of the high attrition rate.

But Rory enjoyed the duel stations. Because of the smaller space, the holograms were finer and had higher resolutions, plus it was nice to sit during a duel. She and Lili were closing up a for-fun duel in which Lili wanted to test play a new strategy for her deck. Rory enjoyed helping her roommate become even stronger, but she found herself constantly glancing back at Synthia and Clinton, who were being all cute and flirting through the use of a ring.

"It's a mood ring," Synthia said with a grin as she put the ring on Clint's finger. "It changes colors depending on your mood. Like now…" She grabbed his hand and watched the ring shift from yellow to blue. "That yellow meant you were anxious, and the blue means you're thinking about sex."

"In other words," Ivy suggested while in another pose, "it's a blue ring."

"I am not thinking about sex," Clint insisted while trying to suppress a flirty grin.

Synthia laughed. "You're totally blushing!"

Rory hated watching Synthia put her hands all over Clinton, but she continued to watch anyway. She felt a little lonely, partly because she had a chance with Clinton and passed it up. "Sex isn't a mood," she muttered to herself. Lili pretended not to notice.

In the other corner, Ivy was also watching the duel while multitasking. As far as Rory could tell, Ivy was trying to tie herself into a pretzel, possibly in an attempt to disconnect her torso from her lower body. "What are you doing?" Rory asked.

Ivy grunted and strained to say, "Pilates." She held her stretch for a moment longer and then straightened herself out again. "You should try it out."

"What is it? It looks like painful stretching."

"It is," Lili said curtly.

Ivy grinned and ignored Lili's snide remark. "It's a way of unifying one's mind and body."

"Not interested," Rory immediately decided.

"Come on," Ivy urged. "You don't want a unified mind and body?"

"No way. I'm not putting all my eggs in one basket."

Watching the duel again for a moment, Rory said, "Hey, here we go." She placed a card on the console. "Cyberdark Impact! It fuses my Cyberdark monsters by returning them to the deck." Three metallic monsters appeared on the field briefly and fused into a skeletal dragon that reached into the Graveyard and closed its ribs around a red dragon with a big, white horn. "All in all, Cyberdark Dragon (8/+4200/1000) is stronger than Chaos Goddess (8/2500/1800)." Her machine released a stream of energy at the white-haired woman with the black dress. "I guess I pulled out a bigger monster after all."

"Not the first time," Lili replied dryly. She grabbed her cards and began to thumb through the pile while muttering to herself. "I think I figured out part of the problem that time. I don't think Treeborn Frog was all that helpful once you got Cyberdark Horn on the field; piercing damage was probably the big weakness that time."

Suddenly everyone heard clapping from the corner of the room. Rory reacted with a start until she saw Matt sitting up there… wearing a yellow jacket? And his hair was blond. He stood up and walked down the stairs to the floor of the room.

"That was an effective display of dueling prowess," he suggested. Looking to Lili, he added, "From both of you. But I wish to request a duel with the winner if she will accept my challenge."

While Rory considered why Matt would challenge her to a duel near the middle of the night, Lili simply asked, "What happened to your hair? It looks like you took a crayon to it."

"I was born like this," he answered. "Well, actually I wasn't born with this much hair or with teeth or with any clothes, but my appearance is based on a purely natural progression of the genetic code with which I was born."

Rory wanted to say that didn't sound like Matt, but the truth is it sounded a bit like him, especially if he were trying to sound pretentious. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I feel somewhat awkward," Matt answered. "My heart rate has increased since I witnessed the end of your duel. I believe the Cyberdark Dragon is calling me. Figuratively, of course; it's quite impossible for a card spirit to speak on any sort of level interpretable by human ears. It may be possible for you to detect the call of the spirit with suitable study and skill, however. One day, perhaps."

"What are you saying?" Lili asked.

"He's not Matt," Rory concluded. She remembered hearing the rumors of Matt's look-alikes. All of them bore a very strong resemblance, although there were subtle differences in appearance and behavior aside from their differing hair colors. This guy used words much more complicated than Matt usually did, and he wasn't even trying to be funny. Clearly, this was not Matt. "Is there a better name I can call you?"

"My name is Citrinitas," he answered her.

"A bit girly name, don't you think?" Lili asked.

"Leave him alone. I'll duel him." Rory narrowed her eyes for a moment. "According to the rumors, I'm going to end up wagering my Cyberdark Dragon on this duel, won't I?"

"Perhaps. Only the draw of the cards can foretell the sequence of events."

"Fine. Let's see what the cards tell us, then." She held her deck up to Citrinitas and asked, "Care to cut the deck?"

"The act of cutting the deck does little to affect statistical possibility for a duelist of integrity. The custom began as a counter against untrustworthy opponents who would cheat by arranging their cards in a strategic sequence in order to gain an easy victory."

Rory actually found that explanation amusing—not because she didn't know that, but because Citrinitas thought the explanation was necessary for her to understand cutting the cards.

"Let's just duel."

As the two drew their opening hands, Rory offered Citrinitas the opportunity to make the first move. He shook his head slightly and said, "Luck does not favor you tonight, does it?"

"How's that?"

He slapped his card down on the duel station and announced, "Transmutation Circle – Citrinitas!" A bright yellow circle appeared on the ground, expanding beyond the borders of the duel station. An elaborate design connected on five points of the circle's border and shone brightly against the gray floor.

"What in the hell?" Lili asked. She leaned forward to get a closer look at the circle. "What happened to the hologram? How'd it stick so far out here?"

Clint looked around the ceiling as if trying to spot some other projector. "It must be some kind of malfunction. Maybe the projector connected to some display equipment and accidentally lit the floor."

"There is no display equipment in this room," Citrinitas argued. "This room was designed only for dueling on this machine or with Duel Disks. This room is not even equipped with a simple chalkboard, let alone any other computer or projector. The circle you see on the floor is made of energy given off by duel spirits. Just look at the requirements for continuing play: We both need to remove from play the top cards from our Extra Decks." Citrinitas picked up and removed Chimeratech Overdragon.

"Like this?" Rory removed Cyberdark Dragon from play.

"Exactly. Now those two duel spirits can power the Transmutation Circle through the rest of the duel. And I'll start it with Kuribon (1/300/200)." The little fluff that hit the field had big, sparkly, green eyes and a short tail with a ribbon tied around it. "And two facedown cards."

"Two _traps_ is more like it," Rory suggested. "If Kuribon is going to increase my LP, you probably set Bad Reaction to Simochi or something like it to take them away instead. In case I'm right, I'll summon Cyber Dragon (5/2100/1600) straight from my hand." A silver, serpentine machine slid onto the field and coiled itself for a strike. "And as much as I love my Cyber Dragons, I think I'll send it to the Graveyard in order to summon Jinzo (6/2400/1500)." A very tall, lanky, man-shaped machine wearing a green coat appeared on the field. His eyes shone red for a moment before he released a burst of electricity toward Rory's opponent.

"An effective use of logic to form a strategy," Citrinitas claimed. "But you overlooked something. The Transmutation Circle gives me special abilities." Kuribon sparkled and disappeared, but the energy left behind was altered by the Circle. "Bad Reaction to Simochi still activates," he explained as his Trap rose from the ground, "and counters Kuribon's effect. Instead of gaining points equal to your monster's power, you lose those points." The energy showered Rory's field like acid rain.

"Your card stopped Jinzo's effect from activating?" Rory asked.

"Your conclusion was much too specific for the level of information you have," Citrinitas scolded. "Jinzo's effect _did_ activate. You will find your own Trap cards will not activate if you try. But my Transmutation Circle prevents any effect from negating the activation of my personal Trap cards. Worded another way, Jinzo prevents you from using Trap cards, but it creates no such impediment to my field."

Rory chuckled. "That's good for you. I'd win too easily if you didn't set up something like that."

"Quite. Given your current inability to activate Trap cards and the relative ineffectiveness of Quick-Play Spells in a Cyber Dragon deck, shall I assume you have completed your turn?" Rory nodded and said he could.

Rory 8000 – 2400 = 5600: Citrinitas 8000.

"Wonderful. Then allow me to activate Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen." A great hall, decorated with a brilliant red carpet and supported by powerful, white pillars, surrounded the field and transported the duel to another location. "This card enables me to summon back to the field Kuribon (1/300/200) as a Special Summon. That means I can summon Kuriboh (1/300/200), as well." The first fluff had feminine eyes and a red ribbon tied around its tail, but the second looked expressionless and had no tail—only four green feet with short claws. "I'll set a card."

"What an odd play," Rory commented. "It seems a lot like something Matt would do."

"Oddly enough, it does."

Rory turned at the sound of the familiar voice that didn't belong in the room, and her eyes lit up at the sight of the blue trench coat. "Matt!" Understandably, he looked confused, though he did smile sincerely at Rory when he looked at her. His eyes remained primarily focused on Citrinitas, however.

"Brother!" Citrinitas said with a start.

"Brother?" Lili repeated.

Matt walked into the arena toward the ongoing duel. When he passed the seated spectators, Clinton asked, "How did you get in here?"

"Really, Clint? There's two of me in the room and that's the question you want answered?" He stepped up to the duel and said, "I'm more interested to know who—" He stopped suddenly when he bumped into something unseen. "What the?" He tried poking the air a few times, each time hitting something he couldn't see. He tapped it a few times with the tip of his shoe to the same result.

"It's some kind of force field," Lili told him. She pointed out the Transmutation Circle on the floor outside of the duel station and explained, "It appeared when he played that card."

"What card?"

"It's called Transmutation Circle – Citrinitas," Ivy told him. "Apparently it lets him avoid any effects that negate Trap cards."

"And the weird thing," Synthia added, "is that he calls himself Citrinitas. It's like he named himself after the card."

Matt shook his head. "I think the card is named after him," he mumbled. "Who are you, really? And what is this circle that can't be penetrated?"

"I can't tell you that. Father doesn't want me to talk to you."

Matt looked confused. "Father? Whose father? _Our_ father?" Citrinitas closed his mouth and clamped down, refusing to say anything else.

"Fine. You want to play like an apprentice? Let's see if I can figure it out." He closed his eyes for a moment and began pacing to get started.

Rory was concerned about Matt and wanted to help him get answers. She glared at Citrinitas and asked, "How about I win and you have to tell him everything?"

"No, that won't work," Matt told her. "Every time one of them loses a duel, he or she disappears. Why is that?" As he paced, he really stopped talking to anyone in particular; it was just a way to get words out of his head. "Duel Alchemy 101. A Transmutation Circle alters energy at a fundamental level and turns it into a completely different form of energy but it needs _some_ kind energy in order to activate in the first place. You wouldn't use your own energy because that would be counterproductive. Where, then, would you get that much energy? You can't just take it from your opponent because you would have to connect them physically to the Transmutation Circle in order to do so, but then you risk the opponent _drawing_ energy from the circle, am I right?"

Citrinitas made no attempt to respond. He even kept a blank, expressionless visage.

"I can see you won't respond to little truths, so let's see if I can come to a bigger one." He looked to Rory and said, "And Rory, please, feel free to help push me if you feel I'm getting off in the wrong direction."

"Okay," she agreed, not sure she could help.

"Alright then. So where was I? Ah, an energy source." He tried to think back to his Duel History class in which they covered Alchemy among other ancient duel techniques. "People are an obvious source of energy, but we've already decided people are not the source." Remembering the story Darius told him, he said, "But there is another abundant source in a duel. Card spirits. It's a totally ridiculous notion, I agree, but if there really is such a thing as the Shadow Realm, then maybe it is possible for other spiritual energy to be sealed inside playing cards."

Excitedly, he shouted, "That's why your card versions of the alchemy circles require rare and powerful cards as sacrifices. When you and your siblings win, the energy is drained from the cards to give you power. But when you lose, the cards are spared and _your_ energy is taken instead. That's why you keep disappearing, isn't it?

"But what I can't figure out is how many of you people there are. It just doesn't make sense. There have been three men and one woman who people say looked almost exactly like me. Dizygotic twins don't look that much alike. A familial resemblance, sure, but they are never described as being 'identical.' And it is impossible for all of us to be monozygotic twins because monozygotic twins cannot be cross-gendered."

Noticing the look on Synthia's face, Ivy repeated Matt's words, but replacing the word 'dizygotic' with 'fraternal' and 'monozygotic' with 'identical.' "Basically, Matt's saying they can't all be related because it's biologically impossible."

"So what's the deal?" Rory asked Citrinitas. "If you aren't legitimate siblings, does that make you clones?"

"Clones!" Matt realized. "Of course. Albedo told Cary that she was only two months old. That might make sense if she were some sort of clone." He shook his head and waved his hand quickly in the air to say, "Let's forget the debate over a clone's development speed. Instead, let's focus on the fact that Mitsuro remembered Albedo claiming to be _eight_ months old. Now why would she claim to be two different ages at the exact same time?"

While he scratched his chin, Rory looked at Citrinitas and asked him, "How old are you?"

"Two hundred eighty-four days," he answered.

"That's interesting…" Matt muttered, taking in the information. "You are only a month older than Albedo. But how can you be the exact same age as a female clone? And why was there a female clone in the first place? Forgetting the fact that I can't even begin to figure out your father's master plan, what is the point to altering the genetics of a clone in order to make it a woman? Was it some sort of mistake? A fluke mutation?"

"Hey!" Lili shouted.

"Sorry. I didn't mean women in general are mutations. I am a big fan of women, in fact. I find myself thinking about them constantly." But that didn't stop him from rambling more on a different topic.

"Why make a small army of clones and then send them out just one at a time? They've never been seen together, and they each have a different Transmutation Circle card." He started hopping up and down as if to force the ideas out of his head. "What does it all mean?"

"Jumping up and down won't do anything for you," Citrinitas commented. Matt stopped and stared at his alleged clone. Citrinitas realized he just spoke despite claiming his father prohibited it. He looked guilty for a moment, but then he announced, "You look foolish and are acting illogically. Jumping will not help you answer questions you cannot possibly know."

Quite surprised that Citrinitas said anything, Matt asked him, "Then tell me a more logical way to find the answers I seek. How can I figure out your past?"

"You can't. These answers are beyond the scope of your knowledge and understanding. Dueling energy made my development much quicker than any human's ever was. Duel spirits make it easier, losing speeds my development, and only duelists with a certain level of power are capable of sending me to the next stage, which is exactly why I chose this opponent! Now let's finish this duel!"

Rory was surprised by Citrinitas's sudden outburst, but Matt couldn't reach past the circle to calm her. He simply pressed his hand against the force field and hoped his gesture would encourage her.

"Losing speeds your development?" Rory repeated, suddenly finding her own strength. "Then let's speed it up." She drew her next card and slapped it down. "Heavy Storm!" A powerful wind kicked up on the field. "It destroys every Spell and Trap in play."

"I'll chain Imperial Custom," Citrinitas replied. His Trap rose, and moments later it shattered. "That specific Trap protects my other Traps from destruction, and the Transmutation Circle can't be destroyed at all. You still have to contend with Kuribon and Bad Reaction to Simochi."

"I'm sure I'll figure a way around it," Rory suggested. "I'll end my turn."

"No, you won't." Citrinitas pointed to the field where a Trap might be, but there was nothing there. "What you don't see right here is the Trap I activated during your Standby Phase when you were too excited to see it; Battle Mania forces your monster to attack."

Rory looked from Jinzo (2400) to the two monsters on the other side of the field. "Kuribon (300) is obviously the wrong choice, so I guess I'll attack Kuriboh (300)."

"Sound logic, but flawed by unknown information," Citrinitas told her. "By sending Kuriboh on the field and Wretched Ghost of the Attic in my hand to the Graveyard, I summon Darkness Neosphere (10/4000/4000)." The monster that hit the field was more than twice Jinzo's size; its entire body looked like a monster formed from corroded bone, with one side marked by claws and a bat-like wing and the other side marked by a bandaged arm and a white-feathered wing.

"I've seen bigger monsters," Rory scoffed confidently. But still, she didn't want to attack it with Jinzo. The alternative, on the other hand, was to attack Kuribon and suffer from Bad Reaction to Simochi. "Jinzo will attack Darkness Neosphere." The tall machine charged another electrical blast and unloaded it at its giant opponent. The blast dissipated on Neosphere, and it responded by reaching back and crushing Jinzo within its clawed hand. "I lose fewer LP that way. I'll set two cards and end my turn."

Rory 5600 – 1600 = 4000: Citrinitas 8000.

"We will see if it is a good one. I summon Winged Kuriboh (1/300/200)." This aptly-named fluff looked exactly like Kuriboh with two wings on its back. "I will attack, starting with my two Kuribohs." Kuribon (300) and Winged Kuriboh (300) both whipped across the field and scratched viciously at Rory's LP. "That will end my turn."

Rory 4000 – 300 – 300 = 3400: Citrinitas 8000.

"Really?" Rory asked. "You're not going to attack with the big guns?"

"You will need to find something cleverer than Sakuretsu Armor to destroy my ultimate creature."

She wasn't surprised he guessed her strategy. "Fine. Then let's see if I can find _my_ big guns."

Rory drew her card, but then she got confused; the card she saw was one that she never put into her deck. "What is this?" she asked no one in particular. "Elixir of Life?"

Matt recognized that name. "An alchemy card… It's the same one Naoto used to defeat Nigredo. Darius drew a similar one, and so did Cary. But what does it all mean? Where did those cards come from?"

Letting him go off on another word-spilling rant, Rory simply looked back at the field and came up with a new strategy. "I'll activate Future Fusion with Chimeratech Overdragon as the target." A green time warp appeared on the field, and its gravity pulled in two copies of Jinzo and three copies of Jinzo – Returner. "In two turns, all those machines will fuse into Chimeratech Overdragon, but right now, Jinzo – Returner's effect activates; it brings Jinzo (2400) back to my field from the Graveyard." The tall machine with the green coat reassembled and stood on the field again, but this time, there were three of them.

"Jinzo again? The effect of Jinzo – Returner will destroy him at the turn's end."

She shrugged. "Yeah. So why not throw a Limiter Removal into the mix?" Jinzo's (+4800) power doubled as the limiting chips inside his machine body cracked. "It'll destroy him at the end of the turn, but not before he removes Kuribon (300) from the field."

Citrinitas seemed surprised by her attack. "That was a stupid choice. I admit attacking Darkness Neosphere does only limited good because it is not destroyed in battle, but attacking Kuribon was simply illogical. When she returns to my hand and combines with Bad Reaction to Simochi, you will lose the duel."

"Unless this happens," Rory countered. She pointed to a swirling cloud that appeared on the field. "Spell of Pain takes any effect that would damage me and damages you instead." The leftover energy from Kuribon's effect was absorbed into the whirlwind as it too the shape of a demonic skull over Citrinitas's field.

"Now my other two Jinzo's (4800) can attack Neosphere (4000) and dent his armor a bit." The two machines each released electrical discharges at the massive demon, who simply recoiled momentarily; it was not destroyed in battle. "Before I end this turn, I'll equip one Jinzo with Elixir of Life." The machine man consumed a red liquid from a beaker, and the mechanical body began to shine with a red aura. "For three turns now, he won't be destroyed."

Rory 3400: Citrinitas 8000 – 4800 – 800 - 800 = 1600.

Citrinitas nodded slightly. "You took the lead in this contest, and you managed to keep a Jinzo (2400). But you have also left me with my Darkness Neosphere (4000). I'll activate Eradicator Epidemic Virus and use Darkness Neosphere as a Tribute to destroy all Spells and Traps you have or will have for the next three turns."

As a huge, floating virus that looked like purple skulls covered her side of the field, Rory asked, "How did you activate a Trap without setting it first?"

"It is part of the Transmutation Circle – Citrinitas. Traps cannot be negated or restricted as long as they are on my field. And now you are unable to support your monsters in any way until the effect of Elixir of Life wears off. Unfortunately, I cannot negate the Elixir's effect with my Virus. Given the Elixir renders Jinzo temporarily immortal and reduces all Battle Damage to zero, it is frivolous to attack." Winged Kuriboh (200) shifted to a defensive position. "That will end my turn."

"Maybe your attacks would be frivolous," Rory suggested, "but mine won't. Jinzo (2400) will destroy Winged Kuriboh (200)." Her machine man released another electrical discharge that connected with the fluff and destroyed it. "Now my turn ends."

"I suppose to keep this duel interesting, I could summon Kuribon (1/300/200)." The fluff with the ribbon around its tail appeared once again. "With Bad Reaction to Simochi still activate, an attack would be foolish."

"Sacrifices are part of the game," Rory said. "I'll summon Exploder Dragon (3/1000/0)." Her dragon had blue scales and spikes all the way down its back, and it carried an explosive egg within its forelegs. "Maybe your propensity for logic somehow missed the possibility that I could summon another, weaker monster." The blue dragon flew kamikaze-style toward Kuribon; when Kuribon disappeared and left behind its residue energy, Rory simply grinned. "Jinzo (2400) still gets to attack." With one more electrical discharge, this time unencumbered by a defending monster, the immortal Jinzo attacked Citrinitas and ultimately caused the holograms to shut down.

Rory 3400 – 1000 = 2400: Citrinitas 1100 – 2400 = 0.

The yellow ring around the arena began to shine brightly, and even though Matt tried to squint just enough to see what was happening, he couldn't keep his eyes open. Matt felt the energy surge through the circle, even though he still couldn't penetrate it. He could feel the way the energy circulated; it started on the far end, cycled through the entire design, and then went straight back into Citrinitas with more power than when it left.

When the light faded and the Transmutation Circle's barrier disappeared, Rory got up and charged into Matt's arms, enjoying the warmth and comfort his chest offered. He held her tightly for a moment, happy to see her safe.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied. "Are you?"

He was slow to respond to that. His head was still spinning from all that speculation, and he was still a bit surprised by actually seeing one of his look-alikes up close.

"I felt something in that circle," he said. "I think Ouroboros, Nigredo, Albedo, and Citrinitas were all the same person."

* * *

_I hope both of you had a Merry Christmas or a happy Saturday-whatever your preference was this weekend._

_It is not my intention for each chapter to be longer than the last; it just works out that way. The next one will help to wrap up the whole Citrinitas cycle and set up the finale of the arc. This feels a little like the last season of Inuyasha-everything is being squeezed into short space and makes full chapters.  
_

_Credits:_  
_Darius Mantzios...tiramisu19_  
_Jason Maxim...Maxim and Knight_  
_Nathan Zislaw...Mavrik Zero_  
_Hillary Delaney...Nodqfan144_  
_Lili Von...Happy2BMe_  
_Carter Jade...Jaden2010  
Mitsuro Itachu...Titanic X  
Sean Bivins...DarkVestroia2_  
_Naoto Kurotsuki...Kurotsuki Haru_  
_Hayley Wilson...TeamRocketDiva_  
_Maikeru Stone...onyxshade7  
Victor Rocks & __Abel Shinzou...Iron-Arm-V_  
_Alister Kazama & Jessica Parks...ZaneKazama001_  
_Synthia Spencer...Madly Chessur_  
_Leila & Linear Lockhart...Windraider_  
_Romulus Malligan...Maximus1  
Logan Wilson...MercWithTheMouth13_  
_Everyone else so far...YamiRuss_


	27. The Alchemical Opus

Chapter 27: The Alchemical Opus

"Good morning, Hayley."

"Yeah, whatever, Doc Serd."

Dr. Constance Serdikoff was a fifty-two-year-old counselor who set up a practice in the town of Kazuki; she often worked on commission by Kaiba Corp. to help students, staff, and police who required her services. For the past three weeks, one such client was Hayley Wilson.

"Sit down, Hayley. I am pleased to see you again."

"Don't call me that." Hayley scowled, which was a telltale sign of Hayley's taking a back seat to Serpentina, her angrier counterpart. "I prefer Serpentina."

"Hayley is your given name," Dr. Serdikoff said. "That is the name we'll use in these sessions. Is that alright with you?"

"Whatever. It's not like anyone cares."

"Do you remember what we talked about last week? Try to avoid using _it_ when you mean _I_. Would you care to try rephrasing that previous sentence?"

Serpentina scoffed sarcastically. "Fine. _I_ don't care what you call me. No one believes I really exist, anyway." At that moment, Serpentina heard a light, single knock on the door; it sounded like someone trying to listen in on a conversation through the two-inch door. "Excuse me for a second." She stood and walked toward the door.

"Hayley? Where are you going?"

She walked over to the door and yanked it open, causing Sean Bivins, a quiet and generally unassuming, if somewhat absentminded, resident of the Yellow Dorm, to topple through the doorway.

"I wasn't!" Sean shouted as he scrambled to sit up.

Rather than ask, "Weren't what?" Serpentina stood over him with an intimidating look on her face. She already knew Sean and his friends were nosy busybodies who had been spying on and spreading rumors about her for a while.

"Do you know what I'm going to do to you if I catch you following me again? I'm going to shove a whole bunch of quarters up your nose. Run home to mommy and tell her that." Sean crab walked backwards, unable to get to his feet until he put sufficient distance between himself and Serpentina. Finally he got up and ran off down the hall.

Dr. Serdikoff watched Serpentina sit back down and shifted her seat, which usually indicated a change of therapeutic activity. "Perhaps we should try a _reversal exercise_."

"Does it involve wrestling? Because I don't do that."

"What I want you to do is imagine yourself in the role of someone forgiving. You tend to act as if other people are against you, and that shows in the way you threaten everyone around you. What you should do is act the part of someone who is the opposite—someone who is always putting aside frustration and forgiving transgressions."

"This person sounds boring."

"Try it. You may find the role is more interesting than you think."

"Being someone who mindlessly forgives all the stupidity in the world?"

Dr. Serdikoff put on her hidden smirk—a generally expressionless visage while smiling only with her eyes. "Don't do it mindlessly. Every forgiveness should have a reason behind it. You will find the complexity of forgiveness is far from boring."

"Yeah, whatever." She sat quietly for a moment. "So… What am I supposed to forgive?"

"Start with the young man who was just here. You claimed he was spying on you; how would you handle that as a forgiving person?"

Serpentina shrugged and sputtered a few times, struggling to come up with any kind of response that wasn't intimidating or borderline violent. She was quiet for a full minute as she tried to think of something, and quite suddenly her expression softened; her smile faded, her eyes sparkled, and she lifted her feet until she sat on her legs.

"Hayley?"

"Hi," she said softly and with a different tone. Her voice tightened and her word was longer than usual. "How are you?"

Dr. Serdikoff recognized this behavior as belonging to Pan, Hayley's more innocent alternate personality. "Hayley? Do you remember what exercise I just asked you to do?"

"Yeah."

"Can you do it?"

"Yeah. Sean's okay. No one will hurt him."

"Remember what we've been working on? You need to own your emotions. It wasn't _anyone_ who threatened Sean; it was you. Right?"

"Okay. I won't hurt him. I'd rather not go near him, anyway. People aren't much fun."

"Why would you want to avoid him? Is there something wrong with people that makes them less fun?" Pan just shook her head coyly. Drawing on her knowledge of Hayley's past from their first interview, Dr. Serdikoff requested, "Tell me about your parents. Were they boring, too?"

"I don't remember. Mom moved away a long time ago, and Dad was never around." She looked under her jacket at her shirt while she spoke; it was a royal blue shirt with a picture of the duel monster Water Dragon.

"Where did your mother move?"

"I don't know," Pan replied, suddenly starting to rock herself back and forth in her place. Dr. Serdikoff noticed that nervous behavior and asked for more details. "Mom spent a lot of time in the hospital before she left. Dad said she was moving away and wasn't coming back."

"Are you aware that your mother died? Do you remember that?"

Pan repositioned herself into the seated fetal position. "Yeah."

"Can you tell me what 'dead' means?"

"She's not coming back."

"Right." Dr. Serdikoff thought of probing about Hayley's father, the man who neglected her through much of her childhood, but based on their early interview, she suspected the father's neglect was only a vague contributor to Hayley's Dissociative Identity Disorder; a neglectful father can be trying, but it hardly describes the level of trauma that initiates a new persona.

"Tell me about Satchel."

Pan finally put on a smile. "He's my big brother."

"Where is he now?"

Very suddenly, Pan's smile gave way under an expression of shock, and she put her feet back on the floor. She closed her eyes for a moment and rubbed her face as if waking up for the first time that morning. Dr. Serdikoff noticed and asked, "Hayley?"

"Dr. Serdikoff?" Hayley looked around confused for a moment, but she soon sighed with realization. "Serpentina brought me here."

"You remember this time?"

Hayley nodded. "I think so. It felt like it was a dream, but I'm starting to gain awareness when Serpentina and Pan take control. You asked her about Satchel."

"Remember what I told you: Treating your alters like they are separate people will only hinder your mental unification."

"Sorry. I meant to say you asked _me_ about Satchel. Well, he practically raised me after Mom died, especially since Dad didn't give a rat's ass. Satchel taught me how to duel." She looked down at her shirt again. "He used the Water Dragon a lot. He was actually a student here, at Duel Academy."

"Where is he now?"

Hayley's expression sank, yet she still seemed in shock. "He disappeared a few years ago. He was a sophomore here—same as I am now. There were no leads or anything. The case is really cold by now. I spent all of last year talking to Sgt. Baker about it, and he graciously told me the only evidence they had is a general description of when and where he disappeared."

Dr. Serdikoff nodded as she listened to Hayley describing the case. Compared with other topics, the details she provided were remarkably inconsistent. Her memories of her brother's disappearance were shaky at best, and that suggested Satchel Wilson's disappearance was a source of her dissociation. Now they were making progress.

* * *

"What do we know about these events?" Matt asked. He was starting to pace again, but this time he had multiple people around to throw in extra pieces of information whenever he came across a shortcoming. "We know for certain that these people look like I do, they are impressive duelists, and they have only been defeated by duelists who have beaten me at some point."

"You're so humble about it," Cary remarked.

Matt ignored her and continued, "What we do not know for sure but have good reason to suspect is that these people may actually be one and the same."

"I still believe that to be a long Frisbee," Darius suggested.

"Far-fetched," Matt corrected him. "And yes, maybe it is. But I felt that energy flow from Citrinitas through the circle and straight back into him like it was gathering all the remnant energy that Rory expelled during the duel."

Bryan said, "You make it sound like she has gas."

"I do," Rory joked back.

Matt looked around with an accusatory look on his face. "Are we done? Have we figured out what's going on here yet?" Bryan said 'no' and grabbed Lucy's hand while Rory apologized. "Good. Because I think this is one man going through a supernatural developmental process."

"How do you explain the Albedo character?" asked Ellie, Darius's girlfriend and Kasumi's roommate. "She's a girl, but the others are all boys."

"Cary is the one who figured that out for me," Matt explained. "You see, according to Jungian theory, the stages of the alchemical opus are analogous to the developing human personality. The Ouroboros is a sort of 'pre-dawn' state that represents a person without a personality. Nigredo is a moment of pure despair and depression before a person can determine what kind of personality he or she will have. The Albedo is a sort of acknowledgement of our contrasexual sides—that is to say it is the feminine side of a man or the masculine side of a woman. And after that, the Citrinitas is a stage of awakening in which the personality is beginning to emerge and wisdom sets in."

Mitsuro made a face. "That sounds really weird. But it could explain why your clone looked like a girl for a while."

"And why Ouroboros appeared to have split personalities," agreed Maikeru, a hallmate of Darius who lost a duel to Ouroboros earlier in the year.

"And why Citrinitas always mentioned logic in his decisions," Rory pointed out.

Bryan still wasn't sold on the idea of a man turning into a woman, however. Matt told him, "Just think about. A clone, born in a laboratory not as a human but as some kind of homunculus, undergoes discontinuous development in stages that are clearly separate from one another. Every step is distinct among the psychological scale, and the body, which is still in a state of flux because of all that circulating energy, responds to each psychological stage by altering the physical appearance to match."

"So why do all the physical appearances look like you?" asked Maikeru. "And why did he take my card?"

"Well, it is fair to assume from Cary's conversation that the man who created these clones is my father. I am not sure what purpose of the clone is, or why this year was selected as the appropriate time for its creation, but if that man combined his genome with that of my mother, then it only makes sense the clone would end up looking like me."

Cary suggested, "Or maybe whoever created the clone got a sample of your DNA from you."

"Well, sure, that's a possibility. But the theory of my father's involvement is much more interesting because it gives us somewhere to start. And it can already be narrowed tremendously because I spent much of last winter trying to find my parents."

Mitsuro asked, "Do you know anything?"

"I know that I was adopted by a pile of scum in human form, and that the adoption agency has no records of my birth parents whatsoever. I've pretty much gone as far as I can between my own legwork and . I asked some of the professors if there's anything they can do to help; Pr. Baker said he may be able to pull some favors among law enforcement databases and Dr. Apple offered to help spread the word that I'm looking. Dr. Lankford mentioned checking the Kaiba Corp. files, but I don't know how fruitful that will be."

"Albedo said your father lived on the island," Cary reminded him. "Did the police find anything?"

"About the same information they got from checking the registered Duel Disks used by our colorful clones," Maikeru explained. "I asked Baker about it, but he said the search wasn't that easy. No one has Matt's last name because it's his adopted name, and there's really no other way to figure it out. Without records, it's tough to prove a relationship."

"What about DNA?" Ellie asked. "Can't they get Matt's DNA and match it to someone?"

"TV makes it look easy," Mitsuro argued. "DNA profiling is expensive and takes weeks to complete. I doubt Kaiba Corp. would front the money just to find out who Matt's father is."

Bryan said, "Let's go back to the alchemy connection again. Supposing this guy really is one person who is continually reborn each time he reaches a new developmental stage, what's with the disappearing act this time? What happens after this awakening stage?"

Matt nodded to acknowledge Bryan's suspicion. "According the Jung, there is one final stage of individuation: the Rubedo, where the wholeness of Self becomes apparent and the personality is revealed."

"Then this man is still near," Darius concluded. "What might his goal be?"

"My first guess was to collect rare cards," Maikeru suggested, "but that doesn't seem to be the case. He only seems to target random people once or twice before finding someone who can beat him."

"And Rory was the exception," Cary pointed out. "Citrinitas targeted her specifically."

"He was acting logically," Matt determined. "If losing a duel speeds his development to the next stage, and he was thinking logically enough to want to reach his final developmental stage as quickly as possible, he would target someone he thought could beat him."

Rory smiled at him, and then she said, "That's brings up another important question: Where did that card come from?" She reminded everyone about the Elixir of Life card that she never put in her deck and she hasn't seen since that duel.

"That's the same card Naoto found," Mitsuro explained. "He also lost the card after the duel."

"I located Chrysopoeia," Darius said. He described the effect he remembered using, and Cary agreed that was the same card she drew. "From where did they originate?"

Matt sucked in a deep breath slowly, hoping to find an answer in that amount of time. "I have no idea," he finally decided. "It seems almost like magic that those cards happened to appear when they did. There's got to be some connection to the Transmutation Circles but I just haven't the foggiest idea what that connection is."

Bryan stood up at that point and stretched his arms as high as he could reach. "Well, this has certainly been something to think about. Personally, I need to stretch my legs a little." Just then, Sean Bivins came stumbling into the room, looking back over his shoulder as if he were being chased. "Good thing you didn't decide to play a real sport, eh, Bivins?"

"Sean?" Ellie asked. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he replied, suddenly standing upright and looking perfect. "Why? What've you heard?"

"Just you tripping over yourself," Maikeru answered. He grinned as he realized, "Hayley saw you, did she?" He looked to Ellie and laughed. "I told you spy work required someone more graceful."

"What happened?" Darius wondered for Sean's safety.

Sean somewhat nervously explained, "She's got a mean side. Do you know what she said to me? She said she was going to stick quarters up my nose!"

"What song was she going to play?" Matt asked without missing a beat.

As if responding to the ruckus, Dr. Apple poked his head into the room next. He smiled when he saw the size of the gathering. "What's going on in here? Is it some kind of game night? It couldn't be a study session, could it? Perhaps a _duel royale_ to determine who gets to participate in the Graduation Duel?"

Matt shook his head and answered, "No. We're just hanging out… chatting… making jokes at one another's expense… College stuff."

"Ah, yes. I remember those bright college days. Ivy-covered professors in ivy-covered halls. Oh, the parties we tossed, and the games that we lost. Of course, today most of my classmates claim that we won them after all. There's not a whole lot of honor when it comes to past-tense football games now that I think on it."

Dr. Apple's tangents often drew puzzled expressions from the people listening, but no one dared ignore his words because he often asked questions about those tangents on his exams just to see who was paying attention in class.

"Um…" Cary dared to interrupt. "Can we help you with something?"

"Oh, right." It was like Dr. Apple forgot what he was doing the moment he started talking. He looked to Matt and said, "I found some relevant information for you. It's somewhat complex and of a personal nature, and so I figured you might be more comfortable hearing it one-on-one."

"Sure," Matt agreed eagerly. Dr. Apple didn't sound like he had all the answers, but if he found even a small piece of the puzzle, it was better than idling in neutral. He looked to the rest of the group. "You guys stay here and discuss the possibility of turning silver into gold, or finding the Fountain of Youth. I'd love to do either before I die. Come to think of it, doing the latter could prevent my death." He shook it off and said, "Anyway, I'll be back eventually."

Watching Matt leave the room with Dr. Apple, Bryan suggested, "Those two may be the nuttiest people on this island. Clever though; turning silver into gold is called _chrysopoeia_, and the Fountain of Youth is supposed to have the same effect as the Elixir of Life."

"He's pretty good at that," Cary agreed, referring to Matt's ability to talk about something without letting anyone outside the circle know what he was saying (i.e., not telling Dr. Apple about the magic alchemy cards). "Where should we get started?"

"Where _can_ we get started?" Mitsuro countered.

"I like the idea of taking a walk," Bryan replied quickly. He released Lucy's hand and told her, "I just want to go for a quick run. You know… stretch my legs, get the blood flowing, work my brain into gear… I'll be back before you know it."

* * *

Bryan's walk was even more productive than he hoped. Using a map and the knowledge of each of the clone's duels, he estimated a few possible locations on the island where he might find the final clone Rubedo. He felt compelled the check the beach first because that was where Yul Tan helped defeat Slifer the Sky Dragon and free Dave from the Shadow Realm last year, and that guess was right on the money.

As he got closer, Bryan could see blank cards littering the ground and a single man standing in the sand, gazing out into the water was almost the perfect replication of Matt. His height and body composition were identical, yet the red hair atop his head gave him a red aura—a very different look from his counterpart. And it wasn't red like that shade of orange people call 'carrot top'; it was heavy red like one might find on a rose. Rubedo was a fitting name.

"I knew you would come to me," Rubedo spoke as Bryan approached.

"How's that? Are you a psychic, or did you just see my reflection in the water?"

Rubedo pulled the corners of his mouth into a half-grin. "It is fate. Unfortunately, it is beyond my control or yours."

"I don't believe in fate. It's a cop-out excuse for people whose lives don't go the way they want."

"Perhaps for you, that is true. Fate has controlled my life since I was born. It just took me this long to understand it." He sighed and turned his gaze to the sky. He closed his eyes for a moment and leaned back as if to project himself into the clouds with the birds. And then he looked to Bryan with fire in his eyes and an active Duel Disk on his arm.

"I wish I could change things, but that would mean to deny my purpose in life… and to deny my father."

"Yeah, yeah," Bryan muttered. "If your whole purpose is to lose this duel, then it should be a piece of cake for me, right? Or did your personality develop into something stronger than that?"

"My development has given me the insight into my purpose," Rubedo explained. "Losing to the Gravekeeper's Visionary gave me clarity. Losing to Exodius the Ultimate Forbidden Lord gave me empathy. Losing to Dragunity Knight – Gae Bulg gave me logic. And losing to Cyberdark Dragon gave me existence. I have seen into the higher existence—that collective consciousness you call the Shadow Realm."

Bryan's heart actually did skip a beat at those words. He remembered his brief bout with the Shadow Realm as the worst experience of his life. Between having his mind temporarily detained by the shadows and the recognition that ascending into that higher plane dissolved his former mentor's body, Bryan treated the Shadow Realm as akin to a living death.

"I'm sorry you ever had to experience the shadows," Bryan said as he activated his Duel Disk. "No one should have to suffer that. Perhaps beating you in a duel will rid you of any remaining pain."

"You misunderstand," Rubedo assured him. "The knowledge of the Shadow Realm lets me see the world in a way you couldn't understand. I can feel the presence of the Shadows right now. It is the power that has come to me through development. I see everything: all that is, all that was, all that ever could be…"

Bryan just looked bad in awe of what he heard. Something compelled him to believe Rubedo's words, but he just couldn't convince himself. "Is that so? Then winning a duel should be no big challenge for you."

"As you wish," Rubedo agreed.

Always a fan of taking the first turn, Bryan quickly drew his cards. "It looks like I get to start this duel strong: I'll play Polymerization to fuse Elemental Heroes Clayman and Lady Heat into Elemental Hero Nova Master (8/2600/2100)." Fusing in yet another Hero combination, the hulky Clayman and the blazing Lady Heat swirled and merged into a strong warrior wearing a full suit of red and gold armor complete with a red cape; he looked like he was ablaze. "That will do it for now."

"Your monster is powerful for one summoned on the first turn. I have to set a monster and a card to end my turn."

"That's all?" Bryan asked. "I expected a tougher start. For me, I'll summon Elemental Hero Stratos (4/1800/300)." His blue-skinned hero wore blue armor and a pair of gyros on his back for flight. "When Stratos is summoned, he destroys a number of Spells or Traps equal to my Heroes." Stratos charged the gyros for a moment, and then he buzzed across the field and charged straight through Rubedo's Trap.

"Nova Master is going to attack your monster next." The blazing fist of Bryan's Hero melted the Ancient Gear Cannon (2/500/500) that appeared only briefly on the field. Because of Nova Master's effect, Bryan also got to draw one card. "And then Stratos is going to do a direct fly-by." Charging the gyros again, Stratos buzzed the field and landed a heavy punch to Rubedo. "I'll set one card and end my turn."

Bryan 8000: Rubedo 8000 – 1800 = 6200.

"I struck first," Bryan taunted.

"I knew you would. I'm going to summon Ancient Gear (2/100/800)," a monster that resembled a sentient gear with wheels for a lower body and mechanical feet. "Machine Duplication also lets me summon two more Ancient Gears (800) from the deck. And I'll use my own Polymerization to fuse two Ancient Gears with Ancient Gear Golem in order to summon Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem (10/4400/3400)." Almost the biggest machine Bryan ever saw, it had a centaur-like appearance: four thin legs, a long body with a split chain for a tail, and a torso that resembled the Ancient Gear Golem if its left arm were upgraded to a heavier claw. The entire machine jolted with electricity to demonstrate its power.

"That's even bigger than Matt's Cyber End Dragon," Bryan noted, "although I have seen Matt use Power Bond to make it stronger."

"Here, you do not contend with the Cyber End Dragon. This machine is much more dangerous. When it attacks, you cannot activate facedown cards until the attack ends. Ultimate Gear Golem will destroy Stratos (1800)." The giant, clawed hand reached out, and the claws pierced Stratos's skin and destroyed him. "That will end my turn."

Bryan 8000 – 2600 = 5400: Rubedo 6200.

Bryan waited for his turn to begin, but he already had the card in hand to fight back. "I'll play Fusion Recovery, which lets me return Polymerization and Clayman to my hand. And just to be fun, I'll play Polymerization again to fuse Nova Master with Clayman and summon Elemental Hero Gaia (6/2200/2600)." The two Heroes merged into a hulking, black-armored Hero that resembled a giant Clayman with boosters around his wrist. "When he's summoned, your Golem's (-2200) points cut in half and Gaia (+4400) absorbs those points. Now it's payback time for Stratos." Gaia lumbered across the field and grasped his hand around the Ultimate Gear Golem's chest; he held his hand there for a moment while the boosters on his arm ignited and blasted the machine with a magma-like charge. When the machine crumbled, Bryan smirked and reported, "That ends my turn."

"Destroying Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem allows me to summon Ancient Gear Golem (8/3000/3000) from my Graveyard," Rubedo explained as the massive torso of his mechanical centaur arose with feet of its own.

Bryan 5400: Rubedo 6200 – 2200 = 4000.

When Rubedo played his next card, a burst of energy struck the ground and surrounded the beach with a glowing, red ring. "Transmutation Circle – Rubedo. It is the last transmutation circle of my development. And to activate it, I will remove one card from my deck while you remove one from your Extra Deck." He removed Mechanicalchaser.

As he removed Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman, Bryan said, "Really? A normal monster with only 1850 points is your strongest card?"

"Power holds no sway for duel spirits. By Rubedo's effect, I can draw one card during my Main Phase." He picked up an extra card and added it to his hand. "I'll activate Geartown." A series of buildings popped up across the field, each designed either to resemble or formed from a large cog. "With this one the field, I can summon a second Ancient Gear Golem (8/3000/3000) by offering only Ancient Gear as a Tribute." When the small gear disappeared, a second mechanical, humanoid giant ambled onto the field. "Let's destroy Gaia (-2200)." The enormous fist of the mechanical giant shot forward and pummeled Bryan's Elemental Hero, crushing and destroying it almost instantaneously.

"You don't duel like someone who wants to lose," Bryan commented.

Rubedo covered it with a sigh, but he briefly let slip a scowl. "I don't _want_ to lose; it's fate. An attack from Ancient Gear Golem should kick you into gear."

"My Trap still hasn't resolved from your first attack," Bryan said.

"Traps can't activate against Ancient Gear Golem."

"This one doesn't even try until the end of the Damage Step," Bryan explained. "Hero Signal activates when a Hero is destroyed." A searchlight on the field hit the dark clouds in the sky over Geartown and projected the image of a heroic H. "I get to summon an Elemental Hero, such as Woodsman (4/1000/2000), in defense mode."

The second Ancient Gear Golem slammed its fist into Woodsman, but the force of the strike continued through to Bryan. "My Golem possesses a piercing ability, meaning your Life Points aren't safe. I'll set one extra card to end my turn."

Bryan 5400 – 800 – 1000 = 3600: Rubedo 4000.

"Looks like your 'fate' or 'god' or whatever isn't so interested in my victory," Bryan mocked as he drew his card. As soon as his card separated from the deck, a golden light shone across the field. Bryan gazed upon the golden card in awe, momentarily shocked enough to believe there was such a thing as fate. The card he now held was one that didn't belong in his deck.

"What are these cards?"

Rubedo explained, "There are two possible outcomes when a duel spirit is offered as a sacrifice to power a Transmutation Circle: Either the spirit is overpowered and absorbed into the energy flow, or the spirit redirects all that power and gives it back to you in the form of an alchemy card—the only cards that compete with the Transmutation Circles."

"So how come the cards Cary and Rory got had actual effects and this one doesn't do a whole lot?"

"Because the other cards grant temporary and superficial power. _That_ card draws upon the potential you already possess and amplifies it."

Bryan nodded at the explanation. "Fair enough. I'll activate The Philosopher's Stone!" A red stone appeared on the field and activated the Transmutation Circle, channeling its energy in Bryan's favor. "According to this, I get to select any card in my deck and move it to my hand." He flipped through his cards quickly. "And I choose Elemental Hero Ocean (4/1500/1200)," a man who possessed a fin atop his head, giving him a fish-like appearance, and a two-pronged spear in hand. "I'll play Miracle Fusion to fuse Ocean on the field with Woodsman in the Graveyard to summon Elemental Hero Terra Firma (8/2500/2000)!" This Hero was massive and white, and he had a blue gem on each shoulder and his forehead plus a red gem on his chest. "But before I continue, I'll play Parallel World Fusion to return Ocean and Woodsman to my deck in order to fuse them again into Elemental Hero Absolute Zero (8/2500/2000)!" This Hero was coated in white armor and bore a white cape that billowed in the frosty air.

"Are you scared yet? My two Heroes are fated to be stronger than your Golems, right? Well by sacrificing Absolute Zero, Terra Firma (+5000) gains a power boost equal to his partner's AP." The air of the field filled with cold, and spears of ice began to rain down on Rubedo's side of the field. Two massive spears pierced the Ancient Gear Golems' chests, destroying their internal batteries and removing them from the field. "When Absolute Zero is sent away, all your monsters get destroyed."

"So I see."

Bryan huffed. "Are you impressed by me? What about by that Philosopher's Stone card? Maybe you just think you aren't good enough to win."

"Fate sided with you a long time ago," Rubedo told him. "Even my own father doesn't expect me to live much longer. No matter my strength or potential, this is not my victory to be had."

Bryan scoffed. "I agree. Victory only comes to those who take it, and despite all your time developing and growing stronger with your Transmutation Circles, you ended up rather worthless." He scoffed again, this time rather angrily. "You may look like Matt, but that's all you have in common. Terra Firma (5000) will end this duel!" Rubedo closed his eyes and waited as Terra Firma pulled his arm back and swung a mighty fist.

Something suddenly snapped, and Rubedo looked up with fire in his eyes. "Activate Waboku!" Three women wearing green robes and bearing gem-studded wands appeared on the field in front of Rubedo; when they each held their wands in front of them, Terra Firma turned see-through, and his punch traveled straight through the women without contact—as if he were a ghost. "All Battle Damage is negated this turn."

Bryan cracked a grin. "I knew there was some fight in you. Even you won't sit still and let Fate control you."

"The outcome is still fated," Rubedo claimed, "but you will have to prove yourself worthy."

"That's more like it. I'll set one card and end my turn."

Rubedo drew his next two cards and sighed; it seemed like he was struggling against his decision to fight back—like maybe he regretted not letting Bryan win right then. But the fire in his eyes suggested he was going to stick to his newfound conviction.

"I'll activate End of the World." Suddenly a portal appeared in the sky over Geartown, and a solid beam of energy struck the ground; the energy flooded the ground so heavily that it ruptured the surface and shone between all the buildings. "By sending Ancient Gear Soldier (4) and Gear Golem the Moving Fortress (4) to the Graveyard, I can summon Demise, King of Armageddon (8/2400/2000)." The energy blasting from the portal gave way to a monster as big as an ox, wearing black and white armor with a horned mask and carrying a heavy battle ax. "Now by exchanging 2000 Life Points, see what devastation Demise can bring." Rubedo's monster swung his battle ax heavily into the ground, and the entire earth shook, wounding Bryan's monster and collapsing all of Geartown; every card on the field except Demise was destroyed.

"That's a little better," Bryan agreed. "But my card is Book of Moon, which means your monster is going into defense mode now."

"Demise is still protected against his own effect. But now the effect of Geartown activates; when it's destroyed, I can summon any Ancient Gear monster from my deck. I'll summon Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon (8/3000/2000)!" This new monster was unlike the previous Ancient Gear monsters; it resembled a dragon in shape—a twelve-foot wingspan, a lengthy tail, and an elongated neck ending in a snout with sharp teeth—but its body was composed of gears welded to hunks of metal with three noticeable divots for bigger cogs. Still, it was a powerful creature.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Bryan shouted excitedly.

"Gadjiltron Dragon will attack you directly!" The mechanical dragon sounded clunky when it moved, but it managed to fly and strike Bryan's LP. "That ends my turn."

Bryan 3600 – 3000 = 600: Rubedo 4000 – 2000 = 2000.

"This was a good duel," Bryan admitted. But then his Graveyard began to glow. "Unfortunately for you, the Philosopher's Stone has too much energy to be used only once; I get to move it back into my hand and play it again. This time, I'll take Skyscraper and activate it!" From the wreckage of Geartown, buildings with glass walls and spires high enough to pierce the skies grew, dwarfing the two duelists. "And for my regular draw, I got Pot of Greed!" A green jar with a goofy grin appeared on the field and revealed two more cards from Bryan's deck.

"Maybe you were right," Bryan commented. "Maybe Fate was with me this time. Or maybe your god just doesn't care about the minutiae of duels. Either way, I found Avian and Burstinatrix, and they always play nice together, especially when I have my second Polymerization." His monsters began to swirl into a single spot in the air and merge into a bigger monster, a green warrior with one white wing and a red, dragonic arm that extend down his backside into a long tail. "Meet Elemental Hero Flame Wingman (6/2100/1200).

"Now," he said as he pointed to the Skyscrapers. "When an Elemental Hero attacks a stronger monster, Skyscraper gives him an extra 1000 points. I bet you and your fate didn't see that coming, no matter what psychic claims you make."

Rubedo huffed. "Your knowledge of god is limited by human perception."

"Meaning?"

"What you call 'god' is not merely a physical form residing beyond the reaches of the universe. The universe is only a portion of his consciousness. The physical world is real to us, but to god it is simply illusion, one he can alter or destroy at any moment he wishes."

"Reality is what we make of it," Bryan suggested.

"The reality you see is just like a wave on the surface of god's ocean. You can see only that wave, and so you develop an exaggerated sense of ego and worth. Your size and your skill are relevant only within that individual wave. In reality, you are the only a physical representation of the ocean, and the ocean is everything that you are. When your ripple finally fades, you will become one with the ocean, but the reality is that you always were. The belief that you were independent is a mere illusion.

"In the same way, we all exist within god, and god exists within us."

Bryan understood the words, but he couldn't grasp the deeper meaning. "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying that the purpose of my existence is to awaken the god already residing on earth. And his current form is your best friend."

* * *

_Two more chapters to go. The next one is basically done and may be up tonight. The last chapter will be a chance to tie up and a few lingering emotions and unravel a few more in order to set up the next arc._

_Credits:_  
_Darius Mantzios...tiramisu19_  
_Jason Maxim...Maxim and Knight_  
_Nathan Zislaw...Mavrik Zero_  
_Hillary Delaney...Nodqfan144_  
_Lili Von...Happy2BMe_  
_Carter Jade...Jaden2010  
Mitsuro Itachu...Titanic X  
Sean Bivins...DarkVestroia2_  
_Naoto Kurotsuki...Kurotsuki Haru_  
_Hayley Wilson...TeamRocketDiva_  
_Maikeru Stone...onyxshade7  
Victor Rocks & __Abel Shinzou...Iron-Arm-V_  
_Alister Kazama & Jessica Parks...ZaneKazama001_  
_Synthia Spencer...Madly Chessur_  
_Leila & Linear Lockhart...Windraider_  
_Romulus Malligan...Maximus1  
Logan Wilson...MercWithTheMouth13_  
_Everyone else so far...YamiRuss_


	28. The Birth of a God

Chapter 28: The Birth of a God

"You called me?" Dr. Kevin Lankford asked sternly as he walked into Dr. Gabrielle Houtz's office. The room looked like a makeshift laboratory, with Bunsen burners and test tubes and the like hanging around on the same desk as paper files like they weren't violations of the fire code. Former Sgt. Roger Baker and headmaster Dr. Corbin West were already in the room waiting.

"Thank god you finally arrived," Roger said. "She wouldn't tell us what this meeting was about until you got here, but that didn't stop her from making us guess." Based on her outfit—a black blouse, black skirt, black boots, black necklace, and a white lab coat—Kevin might have guessed it was Halloween-related.

"Do you want to take a guess?" she offered Kevin.

He simply moved his head to the side once. "Nope. What have you got?"

Gabby put on a huge grin before she started speaking. "I took a sample of Matt's blood from the clinic and extracted a coding of his DNA, and then I ran it through the database to see what kind of match I could find."

Roger pointed out, "Did you get anything at all? Not many people have DNA in the system."

"That's true, but the proportion of people living in this community who work directly for Kaiba Corp. is fairly high. Some of them are faculty and staff members at the Academy, some are contractors who regularly do work on campus, and some are on retainer for one reason or another. It was a good place to start."

Kevin didn't make an audible groan, but his displeasure was obvious by the look on his face. "Are you aware how much it costs to use all that equipment?"

"Ten bucks?" she suggested. From Kevin's glare, she guessed her estimate was a little off. "The exact number doesn't matter. What _does_ matter is that I found a partial match: seven out of thirteen markers in common. That means a direct, blood relative."

"Who is it?" Corbin asked.

Gabby just grinned like a little kid who had a secret. "I'll give you a hint. He's got tenure, and his name is shorthand for _Malus domestica_."

* * *

"Where are we going, Dr. Apple?" Matt wondered. It was odd enough when Dr. Apple led him off campus, but now they were headed into the woods—to that special grove where the spotted white deadnettle grew—and Matt was beginning to entertain thoughts of slasher flicks in which the friendly and somewhat eccentric killer convinces everyone that he has no intention of killing anyone right before he shares that one spot in the woods that he likes to kill teenagers.

"Call me Oscar," Dr. Apple requested. "Do you know the significance of this location on the island?"

Matt's eyes wandered to the base of a tree nearby, where the dirt still looked like it was disturbed fairly recently. "No."

Oscar seemed hurt by that response. "Are you sure? Do you not feel the energy in this area? What do you think causes these flowers to grow in this one spot on the island?"

"Teenage blood?"

"I will not kill you," Oscar said with a laugh. "It is the energy of this island that makes the soil fertile. It is no coincidence that so many stories of magic originate at Duel Academy. The island basks in its own spiritual energy year-round, and duelists bring even more energy with them."

Matt made a face. "Forgive my rudeness, but didn't you say you had information about my parents? Do you even know who they are?"

"I've met your mother many times," Oscar admitted. "I'm just not sure you are emotionally ready to know who she is and what she did to you that caused her to abandon you."

"What she _did_ to me?" Matt repeated curiously. "Tell me. I can handle it. I'll prove it through a duel if you want."

Oscar looked surprised. "A duel? Isn't your deck a mishmash of card themes right now?"

"I don't care. If it will prove my mental fortitude to you and let me finally learn something about my birth, I'll duel you with a pack of baseball cards. We can even cut our LP in half if it will speed things along—whatever you want!"

With a grin, Oscar agreed, "Very well. Prove to me you are ready for this information."

Oscar drew most quickly and took the first turn. "I'll start off with the Continuous Spell card Infinite Wisdom." A card bearing the image of an elderly man with somewhat feline facial features and an open book in his hand rose, and a white mist covered the field. "By the effect of this card, I get to see your hand for the rest of the duel. Now let's see the power of your opening draw."

"You don't even have to pay anything?" Matt asked as his cards appeared in front of him: Change of Heart, Cyber Dragon, Giant Rat, Sinister Serpent, Mystical Space Typhoon.

"I'll activate the second effect of Infinite Wisdom. By paying 1000 Life Points, I can discard any card from your hand. I choose Mystical Space Typhoon."

"Good choice, since I would only use it to destroy that annoying Spell."

"Yes, I considered that possibility. I will now summon Twelve Commanders – Scorpio (Water-4/2000/0) and place one card down to end my turn." A giant, reddish-orange-colored scorpion scuttled onto the field with its tail arched overhead and ready to strike.

Matt 4000: Oscar 4000 – 1000 = 3000.

Matt drew, and Ring of Destruction appeared on the field in front of him where Oscar could see the rest of his cards. "This is bogus," he commented. "What fun is the duel if you know what your opponent has? Where's the real challenge for _you_?" His excitement slowed some as he added, "And besides that, I can't mount a decent sneak attack this way."

"I'm sure you'll try, though."

"Of course. It wouldn't be any fun to quit. I'll use its special ability to summon Cyber Dragon (5/2100/1600) straight to the field." His favorite, serpentine dragon slithered onto the field and coiled itself in preparation for attack. "This monster is strong enough to destroy Scorpio (2000)." With a single blast of energy from its mouth, Cyber Dragon smothered and destroyed Scorpio. "Next I'll place Giant Rat in defense mode and place Ring of Destruction facedown." He wasn't going to pretend he was fooling Oscar by setting cards he already saw.

Matt 4000: Oscar 3000 – 100 = 2900.

"Allow me to open my set card," Oscar said. "Seven Demons – Moon allows me to pay 1000 Life Points to summon Twelve Commanders – Cancer (Water-7/2100/2000) from my deck to the field." The moon that appeared above the field had a design drawn on its face; it was a systematic design that connected to the moon's borders at five points. On the field, a giant, ruby-colored crab scuttled onto the field, constantly snapping its pincers as if to threaten its opponent. "When Cancer card is Special Summoned, I get to summon any and all Twelve Commanders monsters in my hand. I hold Aries (Fire-4/1800/1000)," a ram with diamond horns, "Taurus (Earth-4/0/2200)," a bull with emerald horns, "and Libra (Wind-1/300/100)," a soft-skinned woman wearing a white toga and carrying green scales.

"Four monsters I've never heard of?" Matt asked.

"I wield a greater power than you realize," Oscar said. "Take this card, for instance. Seven Demons – Venus gives us each 1000 Life Points, but it also gives me an additional 1000 Life Points for each Twelve Commanders monster on my field." The image of the yellow Venus, bearing the same pentacle symbol from before, appeared over the field and emanated a glow of light over both duelists and each of the Twelve Commanders monsters.

"Holy crap!" Matt said. "You just got 5000 Life Points. That's nuts!"

"Hardly a crazy move. The idea is to give myself more Life Points, isn't it?"

Matt made a face. "I actually just meant that getting such much at one time is tough for me to overcome."

"Oh, yes, of course." Oscar laughed at his misunderstanding. "Now allow me to explain the abilities of my monsters. You have already been introduced to the first effect of Twelve Commanders – Cancer (2100). He has another: when there is an earth monster on my field, I can move a Twelve Commanders monster from my deck to my hand once per turn. I'll choose Capricorn."

"Your cards are all named after astrological signs," Matt commented. "Except the Spells; they're astrological planets."

"Even the moon?" Oscar asked.

"Dumb as it sounds, in astrology, the moon is like a planet. From an astronomer's perspective, it's a satellite because it orbits a planet instead of the sun, but in astrology, the moon and the sun are treated as heavenly bodies like the other planets."

"Very good. And I didn't even teach you about that in class. Tell me: Do you believe in astrology?"

"You mean using planetary alignment to determine a person's future? Not even sort of. So if you've chosen your monsters to give me a hidden message, skip it. I don't believe in astrology or predestination."

"You'll discover the only deeper meaning of my deck soon enough," Oscar said. "Allow me to continue. Aries (+2400) gains 600 points if I have a wind monster on my field, and he can attack once for any Spell or Trap on my field. Taurus (2200) can only be played in defense mode, and you must attack him. In addition, he is protected by the presence of a water monster such that you cannot destroy him in battle. Libra (300) has the ability to attack you directly, and a fire monster allows her to increase the damage by 300. Now I'll summon Twelve Commanders – Capricorn (Earth-2/800/500)." This monster was a small, white-colored creature with the torso of a goat and he lower body of a fish. "With this card on the field, you can only activate cards that have been set for a turn, and with a water monster on the field adding a second ability, you can only activate one set card per turn."

"Then let's use one now," Matt decided immediately. "I already set Ring of Destruction, and so I'll activate that to destroy Capricorn (800) and deal its points as damage to both of us." A stone ring wrapped around Capricorn's neck, sprouting eight dwindling points of fire like short fuses.

Oscar laughed as his monster exploded. "I guess I wasn't expecting that. You are full of surprises. But now I'll start my onslaught. Aries (2400) will destroy Cyber Dragon (2100), then Cancer (2100) will destroy your facedown Giant Rat (1100)." The ram charged and butted heads with Cyber Dragon, destroying it instantly, and then the crab reached out and crushed Matt's rat in its powerful pincers.

"My Rat's ability lets me summon an earth monster to my field, as long as it has 1500 points or fewer. I'll summon Exiled Force (4/1000/1000)," a team of armed villagers ready for battle.

"Tricky card," Oscar admitted. "I'll let Libra (300 + 300) attack you directly, then I'll end my turn." The toga-clad woman released a burst of energy from the scales, and it traveled past Matt's monsters to hit him directly.

Matt 4000 + 1000 – 800 – 300 - 300 = 3600: Oscar 2900 – 1000 + 1000 + 1000 + 1000 + 1000 + 1000 – 800 = 6100.

"Let's see what I can muster," Matt said and drew Pot of Greed. "I'll use Pot of Greed to draw two cards." The green jar with a goofy grin gave Matt Sakuretsu Armor and Breaker the Magical Warrior. "It looks like I haven't lost my touch. I'll summon Breaker the Magical Warrior (4/+1900/1000)." Breaker was a knight wearing deep red armor with a matching cape and equipped with a sword in one hand and a shield in the other. "He gets a Spell Counter to increase his points by 300 just for being summoned, but I'm going to remove it to activate his other ability. I get to destroy a Spell or Trap on the field, and Infinite Wisdom is the only one left." The spell counter on Breaker's armor disconnected and fell into the void; the resulting shockwaves destroyed the mist of Infinite Wisdom.

"Your hand is your own secret now," Oscar told him.

"Thank you. First I'll Tribute Exiled Force to activate its effect to destroy Taurus." The team of men charged at the heavy bull and pummeled it at the cost of their own lives. "Now I'll use my Change of Heart to take control of Twelve Commanders – Aries (2400)." A young woman with long hair—half blonde, half brunette—and one angelic wing and one demonic wing appeared on the field; she floated across the field and spiritually infested the body of the diamond-horned ram. "He wouldn't do you any good anyway because he can only attack if there is a Spell or Trap on the field; I'll set one to fulfill that requirement. That means Aries (2400) can destroy Cancer (2100), and Breaker (1600) can destroy Libra (300)." The ram butted its diamond horns against the ruby crab, and Breaker slashed at the woman with the scales. "That ends my turn."

Matt 3600: Oscar 6100 – 300 - 1300 = 4500.

Oscar smiled as he drew his card. "Fortune is on my side. Aries (-1800) returns to my side of the field, and I drew the Card of Sanctity. We both draw until we hold six cards in our hands. I'll begin this turn with the Field Spell card Infinite Space. With this on the field, I am able to summon monsters into my Spell and Trap Zones."

"Seriously?" Matt asked. "Then you can potentially have ten monsters?"

"Exactly. I'll summon Twelve Commanders – Gemini (Wind-1/200/400)," a green toga-clad woman, "and when this monster is played, she creates a Gemini Token (4/1600/1000) equal to a monster on your field." A second toga-clad woman appeared on the field, but her toga was crimson and bore a slight resemblance to Breaker's armor. "To follow up, I'll place two cards facedown and attack with Aries (+2400)."

"You already knew my Trap was Sakuretsu Armor," Matt said as Breaker's armor spiked and impaled the ram before it made contact. "That destroys your monster before you can do anything to mine."

"But now your Trap is gone and I don't need to worry about it anymore. I'll end my turn."

_His Gemini Token must not be able to attack,_ Matt realized. Otherwise, that would have been able to destroy Breaker and leave Matt defenseless. And sacrificing his ram to remove Matt's Trap meant Oscar dueled by the same basic philosophy Matt followed: Doing nothing accomplishes nothing.

"Let me start this turn by playing Future Fusion," Matt said. A green time warp appeared on the field and drew in two metallic serpents. "I'll send two Cyber Dragons from my deck to the Graveyard and in two turns, I can summon Cyber Twin Dragon. Now I'll summon my Different Dimension Assailant (4/1700/1600) to attack your Gemini Token (1600)." A platinum blonde wearing tight, white clothes and wielding a large cleaver appeared on the field and bolted straight for the red toga-clad woman, cutting clean through her with the cleaver.

"I'll activate my Trap card Seven Demons – Saturn." A beige planet with mighty rings wrapped around it and a pentacle symbol on its face hovered in the sky over the field. "With this on the field, my monsters are revived at the end of the turn they are destroyed in battle."

Matt laughed. "That's almost too cool to be annoying. These are some wicked cards you're playing. It's not all that rare for people to play cards and I don't the effects, but I can think of only one other time since I became a serious duelist that someone played cards I never even heard of." He looked at his Duel Disk with a grin. "Actually, she gave me this Duel Disk." He remembered the card he wore around his neck—one he encased in hard plastic and threaded a lanyard.

"Enough sentiment. I'll dent your Life Points now by letting Breaker (1600) attack Gemini (200)." His red knight slashed again, cutting through the green toga-clad woman. "I'll set a card and end my turn."

Matt 3600: Oscar 4800 – 100 – 1400 = 3300.

"Saturn brings Gemini (200) back to my field," Oscar commented as the green toga-clad woman reappeared. "Now I'll summon Twelve Commanders – Sagittarius (Fire-3/1700/1800)." His new monster was a turquoise-colored centaur carrying a bow and arrow. "My squad doesn't end there. I'll play my facedown Seven Demons – Mercury to summon Twelve Commanders – Scorpio (+3000) from the Graveyard." A small, orange planet with the pentacle symbol appeared overhead, and the light from it revived the giant red-orange scorpion. "You never got to see his effect last time."

"No, but I can see it now," Matt said as Oscar's other monsters got stronger.

"Scorpio can share his points with the other monsters on my field, so Sagittarius (+4700) and Gemini (+3200) gain 3000 points each. Scorpio gains 1000 attack points for an earth monster being on the field."

"You don't have an earth monster," Matt commented as he double-checked the verity of that statement on his Duel Disk. "Oh, but I do: D.D. Assailant."

"You're quick to catch on," Oscar complimented as he put his finger to his temple. "Now I'll activate Gemini's effect that is inspired by a fire monster on the field: I get to summon a Gemini Token (4/+4700/1600) to mimic your D.D. Assailant (1700), plus Scorpio (3000) shares its power." A new woman wearing a white toga and carrying a large cleaver appeared on the field. "Now I'll use Sagittarius's ability to increase my Life Points by 600 for each monster on my field, but the effect is doubled when there is a wind monster on the field."

"That's 4800 more points," Matt sighed. "I could have beaten two duelists already. It'll take forever for me to beat you now. Any chance I can convince you to tell me about my parents _before_ the duel ends?"

"We'll see how well you mount a counterattack," Oscar replied vaguely. It's like he enjoyed watching Matt squirm for information. "I'll play Seven Demons – Mars." A red planet bearing the pentacle symbol appeared in the sky over the field. "This allows all my monsters to engage in battle this turn, and its effect can't be negated by any other. That means even Scorpio (3000) and D.D. Assailant Token (4700) are allowed to attack, despite their usual inability to do so."

"I don't see how a normal duelist could survive this turn," Matt said.

"A normal duelist?" Oscar repeated. "Does that mean you think you can?"

"Of course. When I have ever given an empty threat? Not counting that time I failed to _actually_ bring it on like Donkey Kong. My facedown card is a very special one called Book of Moon." A blue book with the golden image of a crescent moon on it opened on Matt's side of the field and drew in the giant scorpion before it closed. "This spell forces one monster on the field into facedown defense position. I'll choose Scorpio. A facedown monster has no active effect, so your other monsters return to their normal attack powers."

"Impressive move," Oscar said. "I'll settle this turn having Sagittarius (1700) destroy Breaker (1600)." His centaur fired an arrow that pierced Breaker's crimson armor. "I'll also set a card on the field. And Mercury's effect only remains for one turn, so Scorpio is destroyed again." Matt 3600 – 100 = 3500: Oscar 3300 + 1200 + 1200 + 1200 + 1200 = 8100.

"Lucky me," Matt said. "Let me see if I understand this ability. I'll play Brain Control and pay 800 Life Points to control Sagittarius for a turn." A pair of green hands appeared on the field and reached over the brain transposed overtop of Sagittarius.

"I'm afraid it won't be that easy. My facedown card is Seven Demons – Jupiter." A massive, orange planet with the pentacle symbol appeared over the field. "With a face-up Sagittarius or Pisces, I can negate the activation of any card you play and destroy it."

"Good card," Matt said, "but I have another. It's called Snatch Steal, and it lets me take control of your monster indefinitely." This time, a man ran from Oscar's field to Matt's field, dragging Sagittarius with it. "The only cost is you gain 1000 Life Points during each Standby Phase."

"You would give me more Life Points?"

"Just watch. I'll summon Hand of Nephthys (2/600/600)." A fair-skinned woman wearing gold and orange priestly clothing and a headdress with a phoenix feather in it stepped onto the field. "So with three monsters on my side of the field, and Gemini being a face-up wind monster, I gain 3600 Life Points." He smiled as his Life Point meter rose. "I can see why you like these cards."

"They are quite useful," Oscar agreed, "though I generally prefer it when my cards aren't played against me. It makes me think you may be awakening already."

"I'm not sure what you're saying, but I think I figured out that deeper meaning to your cards. It's alchemy, right? You gave a lecture on duel alchemy in the duel history and ancient duelists classes. Your cards all play off the elements of others, combining for new special abilities."

"I knew you would figure it out."

"Uh huh. And that means you are the one who created Ouroboros, Nigredo, Albedo, and Citrinitas. Is there a fifth one?"

Oscar made a face and tilted his head. "Technically, no. They are, in fact, all stages of the same homunculus achieving personality development."

Matt was surprised to find out the clone theory was correct after all. "A homunculus?"

"Yes—an entity that represents all characteristics of a human being without actually being one. But his existence circles a single purpose, and only one purpose."

"What purpose is that?"

Oscar just smiled. "Retake the lead and maybe I'll tell you more."

Matt huffed. "You want me to take the lead? I'll Tribute Hand of Nephthys and Twelve Commanders – Sagittarius to summon from my deck the Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys (8/2400/1500)." The Egyptian priestess cast a spell that turned her and the centaur into energy; the energy reformed into the shape of a large, golden, bipedal bird covered in flames. "Now my Snatch Steal is gone so your Life Points won't increase. They will decrease, however, when I attack your Gemini Token (1700) with my Phoenix (2400), and Gemini (200) with D.D. Assailant (1700)." The flaming bird grabbed the cleaver-bearing, white toga-clad woman and incinerated her, and then the Assailant whipped her own cleaver through the green toga-clad woman. "That will end my turn."

Matt 3500 – 800 + 1200 + 1200 + 1200 = 6300: Oscar 8100 – 700 – 1500 = 5900.

"You are every bit as powerful as I expected," Oscar said. "Your ability to control my creatures and use their effects to your advantage is what brought you this far. Now allow me to send the game to a new level."

"That doesn't sound good," Matt said.

"The power of Saturn brings Gemini (400) back to the field in defense mode." This time, the woman in the green toga covered her face with one arm to indicate defense mode. "Now I'll activate her special ability. With a fire monster on the field—your Phoenix—I can summon a Gemini Token (8/2400/2000) that mimics your monsters." A second Gemini woman appeared again, and her toga was golden-red and in flames. "I'll end by activating Seven Demons – Sol." A bright, yellow sun appeared in the sky. "Now during my End Phase, I am allowed to summon any Twelve Commanders monster from my deck. I choose to summon Twelve Commanders – Pisces (2/700/800) during my End Phase," a blue, prismatic fish.

Matt scoffed, forgetting about Oscar's promise in light of the duel's intensity. "Let's see if you remember this one: Future Fusion activates at this time! That means I get to summon my Cyber Twin Dragon (8/2800/2800)." A mechanical serpent slid onto the field, but this one bore two necks and two heads. "This bad boy gets to attack twice, so let's see what we can do, guys!"

"Hold on," Oscar interrupted. "When I send Pisces to the Graveyard, it negates an attack and ends the Battle Phase immediately." The fish circled Matt's field and covered it with bubbles that blinded Matt's monsters.

"You can't stay lucky forever," Matt told him.

"The same thing could be said about you, don't you think? How often do you win duels with a one-in-a-hundred draw just before your opponent finishes you off?"

"Every week," Matt answered. "And usually one right around Christmas."

Oscar grinned at Matt's humor. "That is testament to the power you have sleeping inside of you. Every time you begin to feel as if things are hopeless, you draw upon the energy sealed deep within and use that to reshape the duel to your own ending."

"If I'm that good, then why did I lose to Naoto this year?"

"Deep down, you wanted Naoto to win. It doesn't take an expert to see how badly he wanted your rank, and you know you have two more years to be the top-ranked student."

Matt scoffed, but he couldn't really argue; a part of him did want Naoto to win that duel, though Matt doubted he threw the duel in any way. "You're forgetting about Bryan. He's just as good as I am, and probably a little better."

"We both know that's only temporary," Oscar replied with a laugh. "Although I admit your sworn brother is immensely talented with a Polymerization card, he does not have the dueling spirit within him that you do. Your mother believed that your friends are what make you stronger and that without them, you will never truly awaken. I believe friends are a crutch and the only way to achieve real power is to find and draw it out on your own. For that reason, if you win this duel, I will share information about your birth with you."

"All I have to do is win?" Matt repeated. He clenched a fist and said, "Bring it on! I'll place two cards down and a monster in defense mode."

"Good. I'll play Pot of Greed to draw two cards." Now the green pot offered Oscar two more cards. "Allow me to summon Twelve Commanders – Aquarius (Wind-4/1400/1600)," a muscular man carrying a jug full of water. "With his power, I get to take control of a monster on your field until the end of the turn." The man poured water from the jug over Matt's mechanical dragon, and the body corroded. "I'll take your Cyber Twin Dragon."

"No, you won't. I'll play De-Fusion to split my dragon into two Cyber Dragons (2100)." A burst of energy caused the two-headed dragon to split, and two serpentine dragons took its place. "Now the target of your effect has disappeared, and so the effect goes with it."

"I'm impressed. I'll have Aquarius (1400) attack your facedown monster." The man poured water from the jug again, but this time with enough quantity to flood the field.

"It was Sinister Serpent (250)."

"I know; I've been counting your cards. I'll set one and end my turn. Now Sol's effect activates during my End Phase, and I get to summon Twelve Commanders – Leo (Fire-8/2400/1800) from my deck." A yellow-green lion rushed onto the field from the sunlight. "With him, I am allowed to revive up to three Twelve Commanders monster from my Graveyard. I'll choose Taurus (Earth-2200), Cancer (Water-2100), and Scorpio (Water-20003000)." The bull with the emerald horns, the red crab, and the red-orange scorpion all returned to the field.

Matt 6300: Oscar 5900 – 500 = 5400.

"I hate that card," Matt said. "With that in mind, let's activate my other facedown card." A large piece of machinery appeared on the field, and its wires connected the two Cyber Dragons. "It's called Photon Generator Unit, and it lets me Tribute my two Cyber Dragons to summon Cyber Laser Dragon (7/2400/1800)." Another, bigger mechanical serpent slid onto the field and raised its tail, revealing a powerful laser device.

Oscar looked at the monster and expressed surprise. "There's a card few people ever use."

"Yeah, I know. I think Rory's been messing with my deck when I wasn't looking. Regardless, I claimed I could beat you with anything and so I shall. I'll activate the ability of Cyber Laser Dragon (2400) which lets me destroy any monster on the field with attack equal to or higher than his. I'll choose Scorpio (3000)." The dragon's tail aimed at the scorpion and fired straight through it. "Now I can attack, starting with D.D. Assailant (1700) against Taurus (2200)." D.D. Assailant attacked the bull; when the bull resisted the first attack and gored through the Assailant's armor, she managed to stick her cleaver in the bull's belly before being destroyed; both monster were removed from play. "Now my Phoenix (2400) will destroy Cancer (2100)." The bird grabbed the crab with its talons and incinerated it. "That's all for now."

Matt 6300 – 500 = 5800: Oscar 5400 – 300 = 5100.

The planet with the rings began to shine again and light the field, returning the ruby crab. "The power of Saturn brings Cancer (2100) back to the field. Next I'll activate Infinite Power, which makes my monsters invincible; none can be destroyed in battle." The sun began shining brightly, as well. "I can also pay 500 Life Points to Special Summon a monster that was destroyed by a card effect, like Taurus."

"But I removed that from play."

"Yes, but Sol's power does not specify the location from which a monster may be summoned."

"Once again something that could have been brought to my attention yesterday!"

Oscar smiled. "Don't worry. The duel will end soon I have exactly the cards I need. I'll send three of my monsters to the Graveyard to summon Zurvan—The Time (10/5000/5000)!"

The air suddenly became heavy and stiff. It felt like time stopped, and a warp hole opened in the sky where a monster with indistinct features descended onto the field. It resembled a purple demon with the face of a lion, bat-like wings, and a lengthy tail, but its aura was purely ethereal.

"What is that?" Matt asked, gripping his chest lightly.

"This is my god of time, holding more power than the Egyptian Gods." Oscar's field exploded, and all cards disappeared except for Zurvan and his Spells and Traps. "In Zurvan's presence, other monsters are not worthy, and so they are all sacrificed out of respect. Now I'll have Zurvan (5000) destroy Cyber Laser Dragon (2400)." The demonic beast cast a spell of blue energy that surrounded the Cyber Laser Dragon underneath and obliterated it. Matt grunted as his monster was blown away and the Duel Disks sent shockwaves in every direction. The force was immense.

Oscar pointed out, "Now by Zurvan's effect, I can play Infinite Wisdom from my Graveyard. That means you reveal your hand to me again. Now I will use Sol's effect to bring Twelve Commanders – Virgo (Earth-2/500/500) to the field." Now he brought out a young woman wearing a white toga and covering herself with feathery wings. "But like I said, no other monsters can exist in Zurvan's presence, so Virgo is destroyed instantly."

Matt 5600 – 2600 = 3000: Oscar 5100.

By Sinister Serpent's ability to return from the Graveyard to his hand during a Standby Phase, Matt's hand held Sinister Serpent, Spirit Reaper, and Mystic Wok. "I'll place Spirit Reaper in defense mode and set Mystic Wok to end my turn."

"It's my turn again," Oscar said, "and I've decided to end this duel. If you wish to stop me, then release your power."

"Stop saying that rubbish," Matt requested. He felt a little angry each time Oscar said it—like he suggested Matt wasn't trying his hardest and that these cards weren't designed to be totally unfair in favor of the owner.

"I will stop when your power is unleashed," Oscar promised. "For now, I'll play God of Death which activates when I have a fire, water, wind, and earth monster in my Graveyard."

"Here it comes," Matt noted.

"I can summon Zurvan—The Fate (10/+3600/+3600). This monster's power is equal to 300 times the number of Twelve Commanders monsters in my Graveyard." The second, red-and-green Zurvan monster was small and impish, with the face of a lion and wings like a peacock's tail.

"How coincidental you played all twelve," Matt commented dryly. Then he noticed Saturn and Sun were destroyed, leaving only the Zurvan's and the 'Infinite' cards. "What happened there?"

"When Zurvan—The Fate is summoned, he destroys all cards on my field except those still standing. Now, I will bring you to the very edge, forcing you either to awaken your power or to lose this duel and a piece of your spirit. Zurvan—The Time (5000) deals half-Piercing damage, so even though Spirit Reaper (200) is not destroyed, you take plenty of damage—specifically, half the difference between my attack power and your defense power." The lion-faced man turned to mist and attacked, but the skeleton wearing the purple robe and wielding a large scythe resisted the destructive attack; the mist still poured past him and struck Matt, however. "And when Zurvan—The Fate destroys a monster like your Phoenix, you lose 800 Life Points, and that's all she wrote."

"Not just yet," Matt said. A giant wok appeared on the field, and his phoenix settled into it before turning into flames. "I'll play Mystic Wok to Tribute my Phoenix (2400) for the purpose of increasing my Life Points by her attack points. I still get one more turn."

"Then take your final turn."

Matt 3000 – 2400 + 2400 = 3000: Oscar 5100.

Matt grunted and said, "This sucks. I almost had him several times."

He couldn't think of any escape plans at the moment; he hadn't really touched his deck since he fell asleep in Rory's room a second time the night she dueled Citrinitas. But then, his deck was in such disarray at the moment that maybe he could find a helpful card. It was clear from the presence of cards he never considered before that someone else was messing with his deck, too.

Suddenly a circle appeared around the area—beyond the holographic reaches of the Duel Disk—and blue energy began channeling and circulating back and forth. It flowed through Matt's feet and all the way to his fingertips.

"What's going on?"

Oscar smiled. "It's about time. It seems Rubedo's time has ended. Now that he has lost a duel, the transmutation circle is complete." Each of the five points on the island—the Marufuji building, the deep woods of the island, the path to the hot springs, the Red Dorm, and the northeast beach—connected to one another through light, and the pentacle symbol that represented each smaller circle appeared on the circle that now covered half the island… and Matt stood in the exact center.

Matt felt his body begin to burn. It felt like his lungs were filled with golden air, and no matter how he breathed, he felt like he was growing.

"Finally, you are about to meet the god that sleeps within you…"

_Matt wrapped his arms around himself in a bear hug to reduce the pain he felt. When he opened his eyes again, he still felt the burn, but he didn't see Oscar standing in front of him, and he didn't see the grove. All he saw was white everywhere, stretching to infinity in all directions. It really made his blue trench coat stand out._

_But there was one other person who stood out, though not as prominently. A man dressed in a white cloak and a white hat. Matt couldn't see much of his face behind the enormous white beard. He could only notice the bright, blue eyes; they perfectly matched the feathers of the headless bird the man in white rode._

"_All this spiritual energy," the man's deep, booming voice echoed. "I will finally awaken. I can finally combine with your strength more completely. All that remains is for our spirits to merge."_

_Matt felt a familiar air coming from this man. "I know you?"_

"_You borrowed a portion of my power to counter the Shadow Realm."_

"_You kept me safe when I forfeited against Maya," Matt realized. "Who are you?"_

"_I am the Uncreated. My breath formed the spirits of this world. It is through my revival that the world will be saved."_

"_Saved from what?"_

_The man in white began to fade and Matt felt himself pulled away. "You will understand when the time draws nearer. For now, return to my father and use my newly awakened power to defeat him in battle."_

Now Matt felt like maybe there were some magic mushrooms growing in this grove. What else could produce such a profound hallucination? He stared at the top of his deck, curious about what the man in white said. There was new energy coursing through his veins—power he felt only briefly before when resisting the Shadow Realm. Could it really influence the outcome of a duel?

"Shake it off, bro." He drew and found Card of Sanctity. He stared blankly for a moment and felt the power continue to flow. "Coincidence," he decided.

When he placed it in the Duel Disk, gold coins began falling from the sky on the field. "I'll play Card of Sanctity so I draw five more cards." Forbidden Chalice, Reinforcement of the Army, Zero Gravity, Double Spell, and Tribe-Infecting Virus.

Matt smiled, and Oscar breathed a sigh of relief knowing Matt was not giving up yet. "I'll summon Tribe-Infecting Virus (4/1600/1000)!" A swirling haze barely visible to the naked eye appeared on the field. "Let me tell you how this works. I discard one card from my hand—Sinister Serpent—and then I can declare one type of monster; all monsters on the field of that type are destroyed. I choose Warrior, which means both Zurvans are now banished from the field!" The haze covered lion-headed demon and imp, causing them to wretch and writhe and ultimately disappear.

Oscar nodded. "By destroying both my monsters simultaneously, you have unlocked the absolute power of the father of the gods. I move The God of Resurrection from my deck to my hand, and I skip my next Draw Phase."

"Good," Matt said. "I'll set Zero Gravity and Forbidden Chalice, and attack you directly with Tribe-Infecting Virus (1600) and Spirit Reaper (300)." The haze covered Oscar's field momentarily, and then the robed skeleton swung its heavy scythe, grabbing one of Oscar's cards and sending it to the Graveyard. "When Spirit Reaper hurts you, you discard one card randomly. That ends my turn."

Matt 3000: Oscar 5100 – 1600 - 300 = 3200.

"Now is the time," Oscar said. "I'll activate The God of Resurrection by sending Infinite Wisdom, Infinite Space, and Infinite Power from my field to the Graveyard. Now I can fuse together Zurvan—The Fate and Zurvan—The Time to summon Zurvan—The Absolute (12/+8600/+8600)!" A mist traveled slowly onto the field, and as soon as it landed in front of Oscar, the particles reshaped themselves into a naked man covered only by a serpent wrapped around his lower body; the man's face resembled that of a lion—a pronounced chin, thick hair, and piercing eyes—and his back was marked by angelic wings.

"With Zurvan's true form comes ultimate power. His points are equal to the combined strength of my two lesser Zurvans. The Absolute is unaffected by Spells, Traps, and effects, and it can attack all your monsters."

"Activate Zero Gravity," Matt said. "Your monster may be unaffected, but mine switch to defense mode."

Still, the particles that made up the haze exploded. "Your Virus is destroyed, and because it was destroyed by The Absolute, you lose 800 Life Points."

Matt grunted, then said, "At least Spirit Reaper can't be destroyed."

"Whenever Zurvan is unable to destroy a monster in battle, it is removed from play for two turns and you take damage equal to that monster's attack power." The robed skeleton was drawn into a black hole, but as it tried futilely to climb out, its scythe struck Matt's LP.

Matt 3000 – 800 – 300 = 1900: Oscar 3200.

Matt laughed loudly at the field. "That has got to be the strongest monster ever created. It has all those strengths and nearly no weaknesses. Even Armityle isn't that powerful. But I said _nearly_ no weaknesses."

Matt drew and the card he wore around his neck began to glow softly. "I just got an interesting idea," he said. "I'll play Double Spell, a card that lets me discard Reinforcement of the Army to play a card from your Graveyard. I'll take Card of Sanctity, and so now we both draw until we hold six cards." He looked at his hand and realized that it was, in fact, Rory who was last fooling around with his card deck.

"Get anything good?" Oscar asked hopefully.

"I did," Matt replied. His eyes possessed a certain shine as his body resonated with the transmutation circle still present on the ground. "I realize now that I have no hope of winning with my cards. They fall largely short on the cohesion scale, and it really is like a jumble of booster packs thrown together by someone who doesn't know what he's doing."

"What are you suggesting?" Oscar asked. "You can't win?"

"I'm saying _my_ cards won't grant me victory; instead, I'll ask permission to use yours." He shrugged and added, "Actually, that's just a formality. I don't need your permission to play Monster Reborn. This Spell allows me to revive a monster from either Graveyard. But which monster is strong enough to take down that one?"

"I have no other monster of this caliber," Oscar said.

"Wrong. You do. Let me show you, when I revive Twelve Commanders – Gemini (200)!" Matt laughed when the woman wearing the green toga hit the field. "You remember her effect, right? I get to summon a Gemini Token (12/12200/12200) that mimics the power of a monster on your field." A twin woman, wearing a toga that appeared to be made of a lion's mane.

"True," Oscar admitted with a bit of a shock, "but a Gemini Token cannot attack."

"I'll get to that. First, I have to prepare to wipe out your Life Points. For that, I need to Tribute Gemini to summon a card lent to me by a stubborn friend: the White-Horned Dragon (6/+3400/1400)." The dragon that descended to his field was large, and the bright, white horn on her forehead made her red scales shimmer. "She removes from play four Spells in your Graveyard to increase her points by 300 per card. Now to address your other concern, I'll play Forbidden Chalice; the effects of one face-up monster are negated. You know what that means? Gemini Token, also called Zurvan—The Absolute Token (+12600), _can_ attack!" A green chalice appeared on the field, and the toga-clad woman drank from it. "Her points don't reduce at all because the Token doesn't have any effect other than it can't attack; it was specifically summoned to have as many points as your monster. And when she and Zurvan (12200) collide, your monster is destroyed." The woman floated forward as a mist and overwhelmed the lion-faced Zurvan. The Duel Disks sent shockwaves so big the entire woods shook. When the dust cleared, Matt was still standing with his monsters in front of him.

"It is about time you awakened," Oscar said. "Zurvan has long awaited the day his son would return to the earth. I'm only sorry it took this long."

"Shut up," Matt told him. "_I'm_ dueling here; not some bearded bird-man. I guess Rory is playing a little, though. The field is clear, and Rory's White-Horned Dragon (3400) still has an attack to land."

Matt 1900: Oscar 3200 – 400 - 3400 = 0.

The energy from Zurvan—The Absolute added to the transmutation circle, and Matt felt another surge of heat through his body just before the energy stopped cycling through. When the energy subsided and he had a moment to recover, he felt almost stronger than before. He almost felt like he could fly.

"Congratulations," Oscar said. "The ritual is complete. Ahura Mazda is awakened; the rest of his development is up to you." He stepped up and offered a handshake.

Matt took Oscar's hand and held it for a moment. For whatever reason, he felt like he just chugged an energy drink. He felt a surge of adrenaline along with a lump at the top of his stomach. When he let go, Oscar offered one of his cards, but placed in a plastic display with a lanyard, just like the Spenta Mainyu card Matt already wore around his neck.

"Zurvan—The Absolute?" Matt said. "I can't take this."

"Please keep it," Oscar requested. "Not as a prize, but as a souvenir. From this moment on, you are even stronger than you were before. Your power has increased infinitely. We have reached the limit on where my guidance will get you. From this moment, you must figure out what to do with your new power."

Matt shook his head a few times, struggling to understand what Oscar was saying. "What is that spirit inside me?"

Oscar put his hand on Matt's shoulder. "The first step is self-awareness. Explore the new feeling you have and learn how to use it. You will understand its purpose eventually."

* * *

_That was really long. It was surprisingly easy to write this duel considering how obviously imbalanced the Zurvan cards were. I usually try to make up cards a little more realistically, but Zurvan is supposed to be the absolute god and father to the creator, and so I felt like it was fair to make this deck a little too good for reality. It made for some interesting action, I think._

_The next and last chapter will wrap up some social loose ends of the arc and provide a lead-in to the next arc. I won't post a list of Zurvan cards until after the next chapter because I'm obsessive and I have to put all the story chapters together before I include any addenda._

_Credits:_  
_Darius Mantzios...tiramisu19_  
_Jason Maxim...Maxim and Knight_  
_Nathan Zislaw...Mavrik Zero_  
_Hillary Delaney...Nodqfan144_  
_Lili Von...Happy2BMe_  
_Carter Jade...Jaden2010  
Mitsuro Itachu...Titanic X  
Sean Bivins...DarkVestroia2_  
_Naoto Kurotsuki...Kurotsuki Haru_  
_Hayley Wilson...TeamRocketDiva_  
_Maikeru Stone...onyxshade7  
Victor Rocks & __Abel Shinzou...Iron-Arm-V_  
_Alister Kazama & Jessica Parks...ZaneKazama001_  
_Synthia Spencer...Madly Chessur_  
_Leila & Linear Lockhart...Windraider_  
_Romulus Malligan...Maximus1  
Logan Wilson...MercWithTheMouth13_  
_Everyone else so far...YamiRuss_


	29. Stalking the Truth

Chapter 29: Stalking the Truth

Matt just stared at the two mysterious cards he possessed. Both were given to him by equally mysterious duelists and neither was recorded in any card database. Spenta Mainyu and Zurvan—The Absolute… They were obviously connected with the spirit Matt felt inside him; each time he felt the spirit's presence, the cards resonated perfectly. They made him feel stronger, but he verily feared that strength and wondered what would come of it.

Dr. Apple left the campus before that night even ended. He didn't tell Matt he was leaving, nor did he inform the Academy administration. Dr. West simply received an envelope bearing a letter—with Oscar's letterhead and a message saying "I don't need these anymore"—and a small pile of cards, all of which matched the cards various students reported stolen throughout the year. That was enough evidence to label Oscar as the thief, but his mission on the island was complete, and he had no plans to return.

Bryan stepped quietly into Matt's room and caught him staring at those two mystical cards no one ever heard of. It was clear to both young men those cards had something to do with the spirit inside Matt.

"I see you're being productive with your free time," Bryan mocked.

Matt didn't respond right away. "How much did Rubedo tell you about me?"

"All of it, I think. You're supposed to be the physical form of some god who's trying to revive. It sounds a lot like something from the Shadow Realm." With a smirk, he suggested, "Maybe Maya Kawamura is your mother."

Matt shook his head slowly, not in disagreement but in continued disbelief. "Dr. Houtz continued her research for me. She said that Dr. Apple didn't exist before fifteen years ago. His entire history was fabricated. That means I don't even know where to look for him now. He's the only one who can tell me about this dueling spirit."

"Yeah, about that… This spirit thing can actually make you duel better?"

"That's what he said."

"How?"

Matt hesitated, struggling with the pressing thought that he may not have won that duel entirely on his own power. "I think… he influenced the cards I drew."

Bryan's eyes widened as he tried to grasp that realization. He and Matt were together a long time, and he's the one who taught Matt how to duel. Having spent the last two weeks of school largely in solitude—trying not to talk to the spirit but contemplating its existence constantly—Matt was starting to consider the probability that another entity gave him the ability to win so often. After all, it was only weeks after his very first booster pack that he won a regional tournament.

And yet, Bryan managed to say something Matt hardly expected: "Then you've cheated all this time?"

"What?"

"You're saying it wasn't you dueling. Against Dr. Apple? Against Maya? Against Dave? Leona Moxley? Markeith Warrior? Me?" Bryan just named every major duelist Matt faced, including the regional champion Matt defeated to earn the right of application to Duel Academy.

"I didn't cheat…"

"But you didn't duel with your own skill," Bryan pointed out sternly. "You had someone else whispering the answers in your ear—someone whose power to communicate with card spirits can apparently help you stack the deck in your favor."

Taken aback, Matt argued, "That's not how it happens at all."

"Yeah, right." Bryan scoffed and stepped away from his sworn brother. "I can't… Just promise not to be in the Graduation Duel. I'd hate for Naoto's day of ceremony to end in a loss just because you felt like letting someone better than you knock him down a few pegs." With a scornful look in his eye, Bryan took two steps back before turning away.

"Bro?" But Bryan continued walking away, ignoring Matt's calls. Matt just stood there in Bryan's empty dorm room while Bryan slammed the door behind him. He sighed and stared at the closed door. "It's not like I asked for this. I don't even know if I'm who I think I am." The back of the door had a tall mirror; Matt stepped closer and examined his reflection.

"What if I'm just a homunculus, too?"

* * *

Perhaps the most anticipated duel of the year right behind the School Duel was the graduation ceremony. Guaranteed to be an exciting match-up, the duel always featured some of Duel Academy's prime candidates for professional dueling. Naoto Kurotsuki was set to join the professional duel leagues in only two weeks. As class valedictorian and top-ranked duelist on the island, he earned the right to select his opponent from anywhere among the student body. Half of the students expected him to select Matt because of the challenge, and the other half expected him to pick someone easy to cement his position.

But they were both wrong. Naoto did not wish to duel Matt again; he'd already beaten him once. Instead, he selected the challenger who was the only person in duel academy to defeat him in more than one, lucky duel. This was a challenger that was good enough for Dr. Lankford to accept him into the Blue Mansion, and even though he wasn't ranked in the top ten, he had the right deck type to make summoning Exodia or Exodius a challenge for Naoto—a bigger challenge than Matt could ever offer.

"His challenger," Dr. West announced, "graduating into a job in sportscasting for the International Duelist's Confederation, is the self-declared cowboy duelist: Kenneth Stewart!" Wearing a cowboy hat and tennis shoes with spurs on them, Kenny stepped out on stage and shook Naoto's hand, both duelists eagerly awaiting a true duel between experts.

And the crowd expected just as much. Even the graduating seniors who were disappointed not to be participating still liked watching the Graduation Duel more than listening to the commencement speaker, whose speech typically lasted about as long as a Wagnerian opera. At least a watched duel had some action.

Rory may have been pleased with either event, but she was only biased against Naoto because officially he was considered a better duelist than Matt, her favorite sleepyhead tutor. That's why she rooted for Kenny to pull off the upset victory.

Generally the students tended to segregate themselves in the convocation center. Specifically, more often than not, residents of the Red Dorm sat together, residents of the Yellow Dorm sat together, and residents of the Blue Mansion sat together, with only a few exceptions for interhouse dating. That's why she was a little surprised to see Matt, with his blue trench coat, wading through the crowd of red jackets in her direction. Eager to make an impression, she quickly adjusted her hair and straightened her jacket.

"Hey, Matt," she said excitedly. Her mind took her immediately to the flattery angle. "I can't believe you're not up there dueling Naoto. You deserve to regain your rank. You got the highest win percentage of the entire Academy, didn't you?" She also pointed out that Cary had the most wins, but she wasn't willing to admit the reality that Naoto may have claimed that achievement if not for his lengthy stay in the hospital.

"I don't want to duel," was all Matt said in reply. Rory thought he was just rationalizing at first, but the look on Matt's face was almost one of despair. It was actually painful for her to see it on him.

"What's wrong?"

Matt's breathing was slow and deep, but forced like he was trying to suppress his emotions. "I want to accept your offer."

With her heart speeding up, she asked, "What offer?"

"I just don't want to go back home to Avesta. I need to go somewhere different."

Now Rory remembered the offer. She casually suggested a few months ago that he could go visit her in Montana. She just did it as an off-the-cuff, friendly invitation, knowing he would decline but secretly hoping he might accept, which would indicate he liked her. But she never really expected Matt to accept. Whatever happened to him must have been devastating.

She suspected Matt found out who his clones were because he stopped talking about them, but he never said anything to her. He must have learned something awful. Even if he didn't want to talk, Rory wanted to be there for him, as a friend or whatever he needed. But…

"I'm not going to be home the whole time," she told him regretfully. "I was accepted as a camp counselor." Matt's face sank and he nodded slowly. It hurt Rory to see, and so she hugged him tightly. "Come with me, anyway. We'll figure something out. Maybe we can convince them to make you a counselor."

"I'll be a camper if it will get me somewhere new."

Rory laughed and enjoyed the fact that Matt's hug was extraordinarily long without questioning it.

* * *

Hayley Wilson wasn't planning to attend the graduation ceremony at the Hibiki Center. She didn't really know or care about anyone who was graduating, and even though the Graduation Duel would probably be exciting, she could just as easily watch it on Academy TV if she wanted to. But she did have one quick reason to stop by before she finished packing her things, and it was part of her therapy.

"Vic!"

Standing at the back of the convocation center, halfway out the door with his lackeys laughing at every crack he made at the expense of the graduating class, was Victor rocks. At first the expression on his hard face was one of excitement when he saw Hayley, but it quickly turned to one of confusion. That was understandable considering Hayley's issue with changing her mind even more often than the average woman, and much more drastically.

She walked right up to him, past Abel and in front of Ty and Clyde, and kissed him straight on the mouth. It wasn't a long kiss or a passionate one, but it was solid enough to ignite a few sparks. Hayley handed him a note card with ten digits written on it. "Give me a call this summer."

As she walked away, she heard Vic utter, "Now I'm more confused than ever."

One thing Hayley realized is that she did have a little bit of a thing for Vic. On the surface, he was a jerk and a bit arrogant, but she saw how hurt he looked when she denied him earlier in the year. Serpentina spent a good deal of time with Vic; as she acknowledged more and more that she and Serpentina were the same person, Hayley also acknowledged that attraction to Vic. Maybe she'd find out he was as much of a jerk as he seemed and wasn't worth her time, but she was going to give him a shot.

Going home for the summer, her flight was scheduled to leave Kazuki at six. She already started packing and had several hours to kill, what with not going to the ceremony, but she wanted to stop by Dr. Serdikoff's office quickly and get the name of that other doctor she recommended for the summer. After that, she'd probably head to the gym along with the other five people who realized the best times to go to the gym—defined as the times with the fewest people around—are during the Super Bowl or any major Academy event.

But just down the hill from the convocation center, she encountered one of those five other people. This one was dressed in black with a balaclava over his face, which may have helped him hide at night but just made him stand out during the day.

"What is this? Halloween?"

The man had no sense of humor, though. "Hayley Wilson. For your crimes, you will be punished."

"What crimes?" she asked. "I don't have time for this."

"For toying with the heart of men," he answered. Hayley couldn't believe he was talking about Vic; after all, she just gave Vic her number and basically admitted she liked him. "You are trying to hurt him again!"

The intensity of his cry startled Hayley. She could see from the way this man's body moved while he breathed heavily that he felt very passionate about this. He claimed that all women do nothing but hurt the men around them. "From manipulative flirting to broken promises, women build up dependence and weakness in men through false happiness and delusions of affection, and then they crush all those feelings and revel in men's pain."

It was clear this man was the one who attacked Sythia outside the Red Dorm and Lucy in the woods. He targeted women, but usually women who were dating someone; Hayley was notably single. But then again, she didn't have to date Vic for this guy to accuse her of hurting Vic. She saw that for herself after denying Serpentina's make out session and seeing Vic's reaction.

"I know I hurt him," she admitted, "but he's doing okay and I'm trying to make up for that."

"So you can hurt him again? You have done enough. I am going to take care of you right now." He reached for her but she slapped his hand away. With movements swift like a lion, the man lunged with his whole body, hoping to tackle Hayley and knock the wind out of her.

But Hayley was swift, too. She ducked forward until the man was on top of her, and then she pushed up and flipped him over her, listening to the heavy thud as his decent-sized frame slammed onto the pavement. Feeling a bit cocky—perhaps influenced by Serpentina's personality—Hayley approached slowly to assess the damage. Her attacker grabbed at her ankle, and though she stepped away from his hand, he reached her other leg and gave a strong yank. As she fell, Hayley turned over just quickly enough to catch herself before she hit the ground, and she kicked her held leg until she struck her attacker in the shoulder and he let go.

Both climbed to their feet, but the attacker had no desire to catch his breath. With size in his favor, one solid strike to Hayley should be enough to knock her out. He tried to get her from behind, but she was just baiting him; as soon as he touched her shoulders, she slunk backward and pushed her elbow into his stomach, and then slipped behind him while he was stunned. She wrapped her arm around his neck and ripped the balaclava right off his head.

"Romulus Malligan?"

If the marine-colored eyes weren't enough of a clue for Hayley to recognize a classmate, the graying hair sure was. As far as students go, no one's hair grayed faster than Romulus's. The look of hatred and disgust in his eyes was so much more intense than the general look of displeasure and indifference he showed in class. Now that she knew who he was and proved her point that she could defend herself, she let him go and looked deep in his angry scowl.

"Why?" asked Hayley. "Why would you attack people?"

"Women are nothing but evil, bossy, manipulative harpies who court men just long enough to feast on their blood and money and then rip out their hearts!" The strength of his accusation bordered on roaring.

Hayley flinched, but she held firm. Her response started defensively. "That's not true!"

"It is! Toying with men is in your nature. You flirt a little and teach him how to duel and spend a year accepting rare cards and gifts that cost his entire salary, and then you just up and abandon him the second some young hot shot comes walking by."

Even without some knowledge of the therapeutic process, Hayley knew his example was not descriptive of her behavior around Vic. It wasn't even true of Synthia with Clint or Lucy with Jason. "Who was she?"

"All women are wicked at heart," Romulus repeated. "It does not vary across race, religion, or socioeconomic status." Keeping his scowl, he lifted a Duel Disk that was strapped to his waist and armed himself. "Allow me to display my wrath for you." Hayley reached into her bag and armed her own Duel Disk, wondering why their short scuffle wasn't example enough of Romulus's anger.

"Who takes the first—"

"I do," Romulus commanded as he drew his cards. "I will summon Banisher of the Radiance (3/1600/0)." A white and gold creature, somewhat divine in appearance, appeared as if from another dimension. It held in its clawed hand a golden orb that shone with power. "Two set cards, as well."

Hayley drew with a lot less zeal. "I'll set one monster and a facedown card."

"Simple… and pathetic. Banisher of the Radiance will be replaced by Divine Knight Ishzark (6/2300/1800)." The white creature retreated to its dimension, and in its place appeared a tall, powerful knight dressed in blue tights and heavy, white armor, carrying a large sword by his side. The collars of his armor looked like wings sprouting from his shoulders. "Rainbow Veil will add protection." A stream of rainbow-colored light surrounded the knight and lent a shine to his sword. Ishzark raised his sword and lunged at Hayley's monster.

"Dark Resonator (3/1300/300) resists destruction in battle," she explained as her faceless fiend, whose body was hidden under heavy cloaks, blocked the sword using a tuning fork. But Ishzark's sword was imbued with the Rainbow Veil, which negated Dark Resonator's effect and made the blade sharp enough to shatter the tuning fork and pierce the monster.

"Rainbow Veil," Hayley remembered, "negates the effect of monsters in battle."

"And Ishzark removes Dark Resonator from play," Romulus added angrily. "Your turn."

Hayley had a little better idea now what she was up against. "I'll summon Fabled Oltro (2/800/500)." A purple, demon-like infant appeared on the field in a walker and began pitching a fit. "By discarding The Fabled Ganashia, I can summon Fabled Dyf (3/1400/1700)." A reptilian man with green scales and dragonic wings appeared on the field, but he was joined by a blue-skinned elephant demon. "When Ganashia (3/1600/1000) is discarded, I get to summon him automatically."

As Hayley pressed a few buttons on her Duel Disk, Oltro began swinging his toy and pitching his fit rhythmically, causing itself and the elephant to shine. "When Oltro tunes with Ganashia, I summon Stygian Sergeants (5/2200/1800)." The resulting monster was a two-headed, yellow-skinned dragon riding a powerful, double-wheeled motorcycle. "And I'll activate Battle Tuning by removing Oltro from play to increase Stygian Sergeants's (+3000) power by Oltro's attack power." The revving of the motorcycle got louder. "Now it's attack time," she said, fully expecting Romulus to activate a facedown card. But the motorcycle collided with Ishzark (2300) and destroyed him without a hitch.

"Giving up?" she asked.

"Shut up, wench."

Hayley laughed. "Fine. When Stygian Sergeants destroys a monster, he gains 800 points and gets to attack again." Oddly enough, Romulus let the second attack—a direct attack—go through uncontested. But that's when the fire struck.

"Inferno Tempest sweeps the entire game," he announced. Burning through each deck and both Graveyards, his Quick-Play Spell removed from play every monster that existed outside either player's hand. Romulus sacrificed a 3000-point hit in order to remove all those monsters from play.

"That's a bold move," Hayley suggested. "How'd you know I'd summon a monster powerful enough?"

"The evil festering inside a woman knows no bounds. It always grows before it is revealed," Romulus growled. "After losing my heart to learn the truth, it is a small price to pay Life Points in order to fight back. You now have no other monsters than those on the field and in your hand." And a ghostly image appeared on the field—a doll's head, broken by the hideous tentacles of an unknown organism living inside. Inferno Tempest removed Necroface from play, and so both players removed another five cards from their decks from play. Now neither player had many cards remaining, and Hayley had only two monsters.

"You are intense," Hayley commented. Feeling a bit of Dr. Serdikoff's influence rubbing off, she asked Romulus, "What happened to make you so angry with women? Who did this to you?"

Romulus snarled at her, "The wrath is mine. But it was a woman who showed it to me."

One thing Hayley learned from the way Dr. Serdikoff dealt with Serpentina is that compassion isn't always what angry people need; it varies with the person, and Romulus seemed to interpret compassion as weakness. She decided to be more forceful to get him to talk. She suggested:

"She must have been a real monster."

Romulus's eyes betrayed a brief expression of shock. Hayley's comment forced him to remember the events preceding his descent into darkness. "A woman cannot even fathom the evil that comes so naturally."

"Oh, come on," Hayley scoffed. "How bad could she be?"

Romulus took a deep breath and attempted to recall his story without allowing the words to upset his game.

"My first two years after high school, I worked in my family's business on the sea. As an Ordinary Seaman, I did the usual grunt work of cleaning and performing maintenance, but I also spent time as a helmsman. I worked in the bridge of a merchant ship during one voyage carrying a bunch of rich people across the Pacific when a young woman wandered into the bridge looking to speak with the captain.

"She was the most beautiful creature that ever graced a ship. Her eyes shone like pearls, her smile bright as the sun, her skin smooth as silk… It was impossible for me to lay eyes on her without falling instantly in love. She was just looking to meet the captain and lay down the ground rules for exactly how her trip was to go. She was very strong-willed. And she was furious when she found out I was not the captain, but just the man at the helm. She accused me of lying and demanded I be locked in the brig.

"And the look on her face when she saw me walking the deck? She hardly even noticed. She was playing a card game with which I lacked familiarity and soundly defeating her opponents. I asked her how to play, and she blew me off, claiming it was way over my head. And so I challenged her on the spot, borrowing cards from a high roller who decided losing was good indication his cards were worthless and hearing only the basic rules from a child who did not mind showing off over me. I was nowhere near victorious, but with my performance having zero experience, I caught her attention.

"She decided to teach me the game, and then she watched me defeat all other duelists she deemed unfit to duel herself. Even after the journey was complete, we continued contact. I knew how she cared about the game and her high class lifestyle, and so I spent every spare penny I ever had buying her gifts, but that was not enough for her. She held a special place in her heart for the heartbreaker duelists of the past: Seto Kaiba and Ryo Marufuji… To gain her favor truly, I had to become the best duelist. I fought constantly through wins and losses as I gained experience through numerous tournaments, each time improving my win percentage until it seemed I was nigh unstoppable. And when I finally reached the pinnacle of dueling ability, I was accepted into Duel Academy, and I was ready to give her the ring I bought.

"And that's when she saw him—a younger, handsomer man who inherited a big bank account and a large share of Kaiba Corp. She stood me up for a date at which I planned to propose. All at once, she stopped taking my calls. Just like that, she deserted me after a year of affection and intimacy. That is when I learned that women do not care about other people. They only care for themselves and the materials possessions they can obtain. Other men are too blinded by the seductions of women to notice the evil happening right in front of them. In the place of these broken-down, weak-willed men, my wrath will revenge these women."

Just like that, the fire sparked again inside Romulus and he was ready to finish the duel. Hayley knew that was likely to happen soon, too, because she didn't even have half a deck left. In her favor, though, she still had all her Life Points whereas Romulus just flushed more than half of his to activate Inferno Tempest.

"It's still my Battle Phase," Hayley pointed out, "and Fabled Dyf (1400) hasn't attacked yet." The dragonic man held his hands together in front of him, and visibly blue energy began collecting within his palms.

"Counter with Dimensional Prison!" A wrap hole opened in front of Dyf, and the gravitational force drew the man closer to oblivion.

"I'll counter that with Trap Stun," Hayley replied. The Trap in front of Romulus sparked and the void in the field disappeared. Dyf's spell continued unimpeded, and the blue energy blasted from his hands to collide with Romulus. "That will end my turn for now," she decided, confident that Fabled Dyf (1400) and Stygian Sergeants (-2200) were good protection.

Hayley 8000: Romulus 8000 – 700 – 3800 – 1400 = 2100.

Romulus growled at her as he drew. "You are the same as every woman I have ever met!" He pulled a card from his hand and slapped it onto his Duel Disk. A red beast with a mouthless face and a hardened, tailed body appeared on the field—small at first, and growing quite rapidly. "Gren Maju Da Eiza (3/+9200/+9200) will administer my wrath for me!" His winged beast dashed forward and impaled Fabled Dyf (1400) using its powerful claws, slinking quickly back to Romulus's field afterward.

"That's why you removed them all from play," Hayley realized. "For every card, your monster gains 400 points." Not to mention that even with her own monsters in play, very few monsters in the entire game could match 9200 points in battle.

With two cards facedown, Romulus ended his turn.

Hayley 8000 – 7800 = 200: Romulus 2100.

She couldn't believe in a single attack, Romulus took a decisive lead in this duel. Not only that, his monster was strong enough to be considered unstoppable, and he undoubtedly set a trap designed to protect Gren Maju from destruction. Was there anything she could do?

Nothing touched her, but Hayley felt as if she were suddenly smacked and berated. She felt somewhat dizzy and disoriented, but she saw no one other than Romulus and heard no actual voices. The way her heartbeat increased in speed, it must be…

That feeling came from inside her. Suddenly she felt a little bit angrier and infinitely cockier. She straightened herself out and laughed confidently. "A big monster and a Trap card? Anyone can fight back against that," she laughed.

But she didn't stop. Her laughing continued, and the visible anger Romulus showed grew. "You got all upset and swore off women because you met _one_ total glory whore? It sounds like you need a good beating to snap you out of this."

"Mocking my pain does not alleviate your situation."

"No," Serpentina agreed, "but this does." She placed a card in her Duel Disk, and a massive cloud appeared on the field and whipped up a storm powerful enough to brush Romulus's Trap back into his hand. "And to follow up Giant Trunade, I'll summon Fabled Raven (2/1300/1000)!" This monster was a man wearing all black, including over his face, and with bladed feathers growing from his arms.

"You continue to mock me?"

"Not yet. This card lets me discard two cards from my hand, and by doing so, Raven (4/+2100/1000) gains two levels and 400 points per card." She smirked. "If you don't think that's a big deal, look again." A ghostly image of a small cat appeared on the field, one with a jeweled crown and a hardened tail. It darted around Gren Maju's tail, pawing at it like a cat playing with a mouse, but then suddenly the cat scowled and grabbed Gren Maju, causing the entire creature to explode. "When The Fabled Catsith is discarded, it destroys a face-up card on the field.

"And now, I'll mock you." She twirled her hand as she pointed from Raven (2100) to Romulus. "With nothing on your field, Raven can attack directly." Fabled Raven flew across the field and released his bladed feathers as if creating a rain of blades from above. When the rain stopped, Romulus's Life Points hit the bottom and his Duel Disk shut down.

Hayley 200: Romulus 2100 – 2100 = 0.

Serpentina chuckled to herself when Romulus fell to his knees. She looked upwardly as if talking to someone invisible: "You see, Hayley? You're weak and useless. You need to be more like me."

She looked over at Romulus and thought to herself, "I guess the campus is done with the Ghost Duelist, too. I'll pick out a spot on the quad for them to erect my statue."

But despite Serpentina's ignorance of Romulus, he wasn't simply kneeling in defeat. The energy once transferred into his body reached its limit and released from him during that duel. The rapid change in energy nearly caused him to pass out if not for the glimmer of compassion shown by the young lady who helped him to his feet.

"Come on, Romulus," Lili Von said as she pulled his arm around her shoulder and helped him move. "If you pass out here while dressed like that, people's speculation will run wild. It takes a certain kind of jackass to sleep under the sun while wearing all black."

Her attempt at humor fell short of Romulus at that moment. "Lili…" It was awkward for him to walk like this given how much shorter she was, but he didn't have the strength and stability to move on his own just yet. "Forgiveness…"

"Don't worry about your little hobby," she said. "I would never admit that I socialized with someone from the Yellow Dorm."

Romulus felt something of a relief that few would know about his attacking women who wronged men. But more than that, in his weakened state from the dispersal of the energy that intensified his feeling, he felt like a weight was lifted from his shoulders. The fury that once drove him to seek revenge against unethical women faded largely.

Romulus realized he still felt intense disapproval for women like Hayley; his emotions withdrew slightly, but they were still representative of his true opinions. "I still cannot forgive them." He paused when talking caused another wave of exhaustion wash over him. He recovered quickly. "Those women…"

"Not all women are like that," Lili told him. "There are all kinds out there. You know what I think you should do? When you go home, ask out the first girl you see. You're a decent-looking guy; she's bound to say yes. If she doesn't, ask out the next girl. Spend some time with real women and see how many of them are actually compassionate. I think you'll be surprised by what you find."

Romulus was speechless by that suggestion. The whole idea ludicrous, and yet a small part of him wanted to give it a try. After all, Lili was tolerable despite her apparent misanthropy. Perhaps he could give it a try.

As Romulus hobbled away with Lili, another figure peeked out onto the scene, hidden by the trees. Seeing the world differently from most, he watched as the energy that amplified Romulus's emotions over the past months exited his body every time he took another step and then dissipated into the earth. After accepting such a rare gift, Romulus expended the energy in a very short period of time.

His steel-gray eyes caught the sunlight and gave his eyes a soft glow. "This is an unfortunate event, but negligible in the grand scheme of my plan." He chuckled to himself as he glanced at the Hibiki building where the majority of the island's populace watched the graduation ceremony.

"Prepare yourselves, duelists. Wrath may have fallen, but the End of Days is only just beginning!"

* * *

_Thus ends another segment of my story. I hope you enjoyed all or part of it. Within the next few days, I will post all the original cards seen during the arc, and I will follow that with an introduction to the next story arc. I know the basics of the next arc, but I have not yet settled on a title. You can expect to see that soon._

_Credits:_  
_Darius Mantzios...tiramisu19_  
_Jason Maxim...Maxim and Knight_  
_Nathan Zislaw...Mavrik Zero_  
_Hillary Delaney...Nodqfan144_  
_Lili Von...Happy2BMe_  
_Carter Jade...Jaden2010  
Mitsuro Itachu...Titanic X  
Sean Bivins...DarkVestroia2_  
_Naoto Kurotsuki...Kurotsuki Haru_  
_Hayley Wilson...TeamRocketDiva_  
_Maikeru Stone...onyxshade7  
Victor Rocks & __Abel Shinzou...Iron-Arm-V_  
_Alister Kazama & Jessica Parks...ZaneKazama001_  
_Synthia Spencer...Madly Chessur_  
_Leila & Linear Lockhart...Windraider_  
_Romulus Malligan...Maximus1  
Logan Wilson...MercWithTheMouth13_  
_Everyone else so far...YamiRuss_


	30. Appendix A: Original Cards

MITSURO ITACHU'S DECK:

Assault Ship (x3)  
Stars: 4  
Attribute: Light  
Type: Machine  
Attack: 1500  
Defense: 1200  
"FLIP: Special Summon 2 Assault Tokens (2/1000/1000)."

Destroyer Class – USS Guardian  
Stars: 6  
Attribute: Water  
Type: Machine  
Attack: 2400  
Def: 2500  
"This card may be Normal Summoned without Tributes. If you do, its original ATK and DEF are halved. If you pay 1000 Life Points, this card can attack directly during this turn."

Destroyer Class – USS Liberty  
Stars: 5  
Attribute: Water  
Type: Machine  
Attack: 2000  
Def: 2300  
"When this card is summoned, negate the effects of Spell and Trap Cards until your opponent's second End Phase."

Destroyer Class – USS Defender  
Stars: 5  
Attribute: Water  
Type: Machine Attack: 2400  
Def: 2400  
"This card cannot be destroyed in battle by monsters with more than 3000 points."

Patrol Boat (x2)  
Stars: 3  
Attribute: Light  
Type: Machine  
Attack: 1400  
Def: 1300  
"FLIP: Look at all facedown cards on the field, then return them to their original positions."

Aircraft Carrier  
Stars: 6  
Attribute: Water  
Type: Machine  
Attack: 1500  
Def: 1800  
"Once per turn, you can look at your opponent's hand."

Submarine-Ohio class  
Stars: 4  
Attribute: Light  
Type: Machine  
Attack: 1400  
Def: 1200  
"When this card is selected as an attack target, inflict damage to your opponent equal to this card's current ATK."

Tanker Ship (x3)  
Stars: 2  
Attribute: Dark  
Type: Machine  
Attack: 0  
Def: 1400  
"Flip: Special Summon 2 Tanker Tokens (1/500/500)."

Helicopter Support Squad (x2)  
Stars: 4  
Attribute: Light  
Type: Machine  
Attack: 1300  
Def: 1200  
"When the opponent selects a monster on your side of the field as the target of an attack or an effect, you may change the target to this card."

Light Assault Ship (x2)  
Stars: 3  
Attribute: Water  
Type: Machine  
Attack: 1300  
Def: 1600  
"Negate the effect of Trap Cards that destroy a monster(s) on the field."

Heavy Assault Ship (x2)  
Stars: 4  
Attribute: Light  
Type: Machine  
Attack: 1400  
Def: 1500  
"When this facedown card is attacked, it becomes a Continuous Spell and the attack is negated. During the second End Phase after this effect is activated, destroy this card and the monster with the highest attack points on the field."  
Navy Hospital Ship (x3)  
Stars: 4  
Attribute: Light  
Type: Machine  
Attack: 500  
Def: 2000 "Once per turn, increase your Life Points by 500 for each 'Navy Hospital Ship' in the Graveyard."

USS Liberation  
Stars: 10  
Attribute: Water  
Type: Machine/Fusion  
Attack: 3500  
Def: 3400  
1 "Destroyer Class" monster + 1 "Destroyer Class" monster + 1 "Destroyer Class" monster "This card can only be Special Summoned by removing from play the fusion material monsters. This card cannot be destroyed by Trap Cards. Once per turn, when this card would be destroyed by battle, it is not. When you declare an attack with this card, Tribute 1 monster on your side of the field to turn it into a direct attack."

Upgrade  
Equip Spell Card  
"Equip this to a 'Destroyer Class' monster. Increase the monster's ATK by 500. Send this face-up card from the field to the Graveyard to destroy 1 card on your opponent's field."

Salvage Yard  
Spell Card  
"Return one monster from your Graveyard to the top of the Deck."

Coastal Defense  
Quick-Play Spell  
"Negate the effects of all Spell and Trap Cards for one turn. The ATK and DEF of all face-up monsters become equal to the highest original ATK on the field until the End Phase of this turn."

Naval Assault  
Trap Card  
"Negate the activation of a Spell Card and destroy it."

Naval Protocol  
Spell Card  
"Destroy a face-up Spell Card."

Resupply  
Spell Card  
"Both players draw cards from their Decks until they have five cards in their respective hands."

Reinforcement Forces  
Trap Card  
"Activate only if you have 1 or more Tokens on the field. Special Summon 2 Tokens of the same name."

Light on the Horizon!  
Field Spell Card  
"Increase the ATK and DEF of all Light-attribute monsters by 500 points."

Hyper Cannon Blast!  
Equip Spell Card  
"This card can only be equipped to 'USS Liberation'. The ATK and DEF of the equipped card become 4500."

Liberation  
Trap Card  
"Pay 1000 Life Points. Special Summon 1 Level 5 or lower monster from the opponent's Graveyard to your side of the field."

Amphibious Landing  
Spell Card  
"Special Summon up to 3 cards with 'Assault Ship' in their names from your Graveyard in defense mode. The summoned cards cannot attack or change their battle positions."

Open the Gateway  
Spell Card  
"Both players unite their Graveyards with their Decks and shuffle them. Then both players draw three cards from their shuffled Decks."

Lock on!  
Continuous Spell Card  
"Either player may choose to declare 1 direct attack per turn. Other monsters may not attack during the same turn this card's effect is activated."

Defensive Covering Fire  
Continuous Spell Card  
"This card remains face-up for 3 of your opponent's turns. No monsters can attack. Destroy this card during your opponent's third End Phase after this card was activated."

* * *

_Trivia:_  
_The above cards are courtesy of Titanic X._

* * *

GHOST DUELIST CARDS:

Eschatos  
Stars: 10  
Attribute: Divine  
Type: Divine-Beast  
ATK: 2000  
DEF: 1800  
"Once per turn during your Battle Phase, you can equip this card to a face-up monster your opponent controls, OR unequip it to Special Summon this card in face-up Attack Position. The equipped monster loses ATK equal to this card's original ATK. If this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle, it gains the destroyed monster's effects."

Ultimate Destiny  
Spell Card  
"Activate this card only if you control a face-up Eschatos. Special Summon 1 Grail Token (Divine-Fairy-10/2000/1800) in face-up attack position. Your opponent cannot target Eschatos as long as you have a Grail Token on the field. Grail Token has the same effect as your face-up Eschatos."

Lifting the Veil  
Trap Card  
"Activate this card only if you control a face-up Eschatos. Once per turn, take 1 Veiled Monster card from your deck and equip it to Eschatos."

Divine Tempest  
Spell Card  
"Activate only if you control a Level 10 or higher monster. Destroy all Spell Cards on the field and inflict 300 points of damage to your opponent for each card destroyed in this way."

Divine Manifestation  
Spell Card  
"Pay half your Life Points. Special Summon 1 Level 10 or higher Divine-Beast-type monster from your deck. This monster cannot be Tributed or destroyed and returns to the Deck during the End Phase of this turn."

Phantom Battle  
Continuous Trap Card  
"Pay 800 Life Points during each of your Standby Phases. If you do not, destroy this card. If a face-up 'Eschatos' you control is removed from the field while equipped to another monster, Special Summon 'Eschatos' in face-up attack position. Eschatos gains the effect of the monster it was equipped to when it was destroyed."

* * *

_Trivia:  
The first card I created because I thought Bakura was an awesome villain and wanted one of my own._  
_The last three cards were contributed by tiramisu19._

* * *

ALCHEMY CARDS:

Transmutation Circle – Ouroboros  
Continuous Spell Card  
"This card cannot be destroyed by card effects. You may pay Life Points in sets of 100 to reduce the ATK of an attacking monster by the same amount paid."

Transmutation Circle – Nigredo  
Continuous Spell Card  
"This card cannot be destroyed by card effects. During the End Phase of your opponent's turn, destroy any monsters that battled this turn and inflict damage to the card's controller equal to the monster's ATK."

Transmutation Circle – Albedo  
Continuous Spell Card  
"This card cannot be destroyed by card effects. During the End Phase of your opponent's turn, Special Summon 1 monster that was sent to the Graveyard this turn."

Transmutation Circle – Citrinitas  
Continuous Spell Card  
"This card cannot be destroyed by card effects. The activation of Trap Cards on your side of the field cannot be negated. You can activate Trap Cards during the same turn they are Set."

Transmutation Circle – Rubedo  
Continuous Spell Card  
"This card cannot be destroyed by card effects. You may draw one additional card during your Main Phase."

Philosopher's Stone  
Spell Card  
"If this card exists in your Graveyard during your Standby Phase, you can move it to your hand. After the third activation of this effect, remove this card from play. Once per turn, you may select 1 card from your deck and move it to your hand."

Chrysopoeia  
Spell Card  
"If this card exists in your Graveyard during your Standby Phase, you can move it to your hand. After the third activation of this effect, remove this card from play. Select one monster on the field. Declare the name of one card and send that card to the Graveyard from your or your opponent's deck or hand. Change the name, type, and attribute of the selected monster to that of the discarded monster."

Elixir of Life  
Spell Card  
"Select 1 monster. During your third Standby Phase after this card's activation, remove this card and the selected monster from play. The selected monster on your side of the field cannot be destroyed and you take zero Battle Damage from battles involving that monster."

* * *

_Trivia:  
The four stages of the alchemical opus are Nigredo, Albedo, Citrinitas, and Rubedo. Carl Jung also used the same terms to describe stages of psychological development (specifically individuation)._  
Philosopher's Stone_ is based almost entirely on the card of a similar name from the _GX_ anime.  
Chrysopoeia is the process of transmuting some material into gold._  
_Elixir of Life and Chrysopoeia are both purported properties or effects of the Philosopher's Stone._

* * *

OSCAR APPLE'S DECK:

Twelve Commanders – Aries  
Stars: 4  
Attribute: Fire  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attack: 1800  
Defense: 1000  
"This card can attack once during your Battle Phase for each Spell or Trap on your field. If there is a face-up Wind monster on the field, increase this card's ATK by 600 points."

Twelve Commanders – Taurus  
Stars: 3  
Attribute: Earth  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attack: 0  
Defense: 2200  
"This card cannot be put in attack position. Your opponent must attack this card. If there is a face-up Water monster on the field, this card cannot be destroyed in battle."

Twelve Commanders – Gemini  
Stars: 1  
Attribute: Wind  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attack: 200  
Defense: 400  
"When this card is summoned, you can select 1 face-up monster on your opponent's field and summon a Gemini Token with the same stats and effect. A Gemini Token cannot declare attack. If there is a face-up Fire monster on the field, you may activate this effect once per turn during your Main Phase."

Twelve Commanders – Cancer  
Stars: 7  
Attribute: Water  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attack: 2100  
Defense: 2000  
"When this card is summoned by the effect of Seven Demons – Moon, you may Special Summon as many monsters with the name Twelve Commanders from your hand as possible. If there is a face-up Earth monster on the field, once per turn you may move a monster with the name Twelve Commanders from your deck or Graveyard to your hand."

Twelve Commanders – Leo  
Stars: 8  
Attribute: Fire  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attack: 2400  
Defense: 1800  
"When this card is summoned by the effect of Seven Demons – Sol, you may Special Summon up to 3 monsters with the name Twelve Commanders from your Graveyard. If there is a face-up Wind monster on the field, once per turn you may Special Summon one monster with the name Twelve Commanders from your Deck."

Twelve Commanders – Virgo  
Stars: 2  
Attribute: Earth  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attack: 500  
Defense: 500  
"This card cannot be affected by Spell or Trap cards. If there is a face-up Water monster on the field, all monsters on your field are unaffected by Spell or Trap cards."

Twelve Commanders – Libra  
Stars: 1  
Attribute: Wind  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attack: 300  
Defense: 100  
"When you have another monster on your field, this card cannot be targeted by Spell or Trap cards, or by attack from your opponent's monsters. This card can attack your opponent's Life Points directly. If there is a face-up Fire monster on the field, increase Battle Damage inflicted by this card by 300 points."

Twelve Commanders – Scorpio  
Stars: 4  
Attribute: Water  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attack: 2000  
Defense: 0  
"This card cannot attack. You can increase the ATK of other monsters on your field by an amount equal to this card's current ATK. If there is a face-up Earth monster on the field, increase the ATK of this card by 1000 points."

Twelve Commanders – Sagittarius  
Stars: 3  
Attribute: Fire  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attack: 1700  
Defense: 1800  
"Once per turn, you may choose one of the following effects: Increase your Life Points by 600 for each monster on your field Increase the ATK of this card by the difference between your Life Points and your opponent's Life Points. If there is a face-up Wind monster on the field, double this card's effect."

Twelve Commanders – Capricorn  
Stars: 2  
Attribute: Earth  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attack: 800  
Defense: 500  
"As long as this card is face-up on the field, your opponent can only activate Spell and Trap cards that have been set for one turn. If there is a face-up Water monster on the field, your opponent can only activate 1 set card per turn."

Twelve Commanders – Aquarius  
Stars: 4  
Attribute: Wind  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attack: 1400  
Defense: 1600  
"When this card is summoned, you can select 1 face-up monster on your opponent's field and take control of it until your End Phase. The monster you control cannot be Tributed for any reason. If there is a face-up Fire monster on the field, you may activate this effect once per turn during your Main Phase."

Twelve Commanders – Pisces  
Stars: 2  
Attribute: Water  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attack: 700  
Defense: 800  
"By sending this face-up card to the Graveyard, you can negate an attack by your opponent and end his or her Battle Phase. If there is a face-up Earth monster on the field, once per turn you can negate the activation of a Spell or Trap card that would destroy a monster on your field with the name Twelve Commanders."

Zurvan—The Time  
Stars: 10  
Attribute: Light  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attack: ?  
Defense: ?  
1 FIRE monster + 1 WATER monster + 1 EARTH monster + 1 WIND monster  
"This card cannot be summoned except by Fusion Summon. This card's attribute is also treated as FIRE, WATER, WIND, and EARTH. As long as this card remains on the field, you must skip your Draw Phase and you cannot summon another monster. The ATK and DEF of this card are equal to the cumulative ATK and DEF of the monsters used in the fusion. When this card attacks a monster in defense mode, inflict Battle Damage equal to half the difference between this monster's ATK and the defending monster's DEF."

Zurvan—The Fate  
Stars: 10  
Attribute: Light  
Type: Warrior/Effect  
Attack: ?  
Defense: ?  
"This card can only be summoned by the effect of 'The God of Death.' This monster's ATK and DEF are equal to 600 times the number of monsters in your Graveyard with the name Twelve Commanders. As long as this card is face-up on the field, destroy all cards that do not have 'Zurvan' in the name and are not named 'Infinite Wisdom,' 'Infinite Power,' or 'Infinite Space.'"

Zurvan—The Absolute  
Stars: 12  
Attribute: Light  
Type: Fusion/Warrior/Effect  
Attack: ?  
Defense: ?  
Zurvan—The Time + Zurvan—The Fate  
"The ATK and DEF of this card are equal to the combined ATK and DEF of 1 face-up Zurvan—The Time and 1 face-up Zurvan—The Fate when they were destroyed. This card is unaffected by Spell, Trap, or Monster effects. This card may attack once for each monster on your opponent's field. When this card destroys a monster as a result of battle, inflict 800 points of damage to your opponent's Life Points. If an attack by this card fails to destroy a monster, remove that monster from play until your opponent's 2nd Standby Phase and inflict damage to your opponent equal to that monster's ATK."

Seven Demons – Mars  
Spell Card  
"All your monsters must attack during your Battle Phase. This card's effect cannot be negated by any other effects."

Seven Demons – Venus  
Spell Card  
"You and your opponent gain 1000 Life Points. Increase your Life Points by an additional 1000 points for each face-up Twelve Commanders monster on your field."

Seven Demons – Mercury  
Trap Card  
"Special Summon 1 Twelve Commanders from your Graveyard. Destroy that monster during the End Phase of the turn it was summoned."

Seven Demons – Moon  
Spell Card  
"Pay 1000 Life Points. Special Summon 1 Twelve Commanders – Cancer from your hand, deck, or Graveyard."

Seven Demons – Sol  
Continuous Spell  
"Pay 500 Life Points during your Standby Phase in order to Special Summon one Twelve Commanders monster during your End Phase."

Seven Demons – Jupiter  
Counter Trap Card  
"If you have a face-up Twelve Commanders – Sagittarius or Twelve Commanders – Pisces, negate the activation of a Spell or Trap card or the summoning of a monster controlled by your opponent and destroy the card."

Seven Demons – Saturn  
Continuous Trap Card  
"As long as this card remains face-up on the field, you may Special Summon 1 Twelve Commanders monster from your Graveyard that was destroyed as a result of battle during this turn. When the summoned monster is destroyed, destroy this card."

Infinite Space  
Field Spell Card  
"This card's controller may summon monsters in the Spell/Trap Zone."

Infinite Wisdom  
Continuous Spell Card  
"As long as this card remains on the field, your opponent must show his or her hand. Once per turn, you may pay 1000 Life Points to discard a card from his or her hand."

Infinite Power  
Continuous Trap Card  
"As long as this card remains on the field, all monsters on your side of the field cannot be destroyed as a result of battle."

The God of Death  
Spell Card  
"You can only activate this card if you have a Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth monster in your Graveyard. Special Summon 1 Zurvan—The Fate from your Extra deck."

The God of Resurrection  
Spell Card  
"If 'Zurvan—The Time' and 'Zurvan—The Fate' are destroyed simultaneously, you may move this card from your deck to your hand. If you do, skip your next Draw Phase. Send 'Infinite Time,' 'Infinite Space,' and 'Infinite Wisdom' from your field to the Graveyard to Fusion Summon 'Zurvan—The Absolute.'"

* * *

_Trivia:  
Zurvan is the second monster I created based on Zoroastrianism (Spenta Mainyu from the "Duel Academy" arc was the first). The faith itself has nothing to do with the story; I simply borrowed names and associations. I read about Zoroastrianism during my studies and thought it sounded interesting._  
_Most of the cards are named for astrological signs. Others are named for the solar planets, which alchemists believed controlled certain elements._


	31. Appendix B: The Next Arc

_The End of Duel Academy_

Bryan Knight enters his third year at Duel Academy in the top student rank and a prominent spot in Team Lockdown. Matthew Luther reenters the Academy three weeks into classes and has to duel his way back up through the ranks.

After a particularly difficult duel, Bryan and four other Duel Academy students are offered the chance to participate in a two-week course abroad at the Themelic Pantheon, a new university opened in Santa Barbara by the Director of the Industrial Illusions division of Kaiba Corp. (Any existing characters who wish to apply for the course, fill out Form A below; any students of the Thelemic Pantheon may complete Form B.)  
Bryan and his cohort quickly learn that the program directors had ulterior motives in gathering this particular group together.

Meanwhile, Matt and the rest of Duel Academy play host to the prestigious GX Captain Tournament, essentially an indirect war between the CEOs of Kaiba Corp. and Schroeder Corp. Each duelist received a medal as proof of participation and as ante for the duels. The tournament is called Captain because each duelist selects a Deck Captain (i.e., think of Noah's virtual world) to grant each duelist extra abilities during the duel. When the tournament expires, the organization with the most medals wins.

The Ghost Duelist continues to lurk in the shadows of Duel Academy, but it turns out he has more followers, some of whom are especially dangerous. What is his goal, and how does it involve Thelemic Pantheon and the GX Captain Tournament?

* * *

Form A (for existing characters)  
What is your greatest strength?  
What is your greatest insecurity?  
What motivates you?  
How have you earned this opportunity? (Why you and not someone else?)

Form B (for application to Thelemic Pantheon)  
Name:  
Height/weight/dress:  
Mannerisms/speech patterns:  
Habits/health/disabilities:  
Year in School:  
Deck Theme:  
Psychic ability: (something that might help a duelist)  
Personality—Aggressive or Passive?  
Personality—Logical or Emotional?  
Personality—Gracious or Gruff?  
Personality—Private or Expressive?  
Personality—Self-Confident or Insecure?  
What motivates you?

* * *

**I welcome submissions from anyone already reading if for no other reason than it gives me time to figure out how the character fits into the story well. I may also accept some characters as freshmen at Duel Academy, or some associates for Schroeder Corp. if you want to make a one-shot character. (I currently have Allen Tebaro and Cain Valin submitted by readers at an earlier date enrolled as freshmen.) If you choose to fill out either form, 50 words is your goal for the essay-type questions.  
**

**I don't know exactly when I'll post the first chapter of the next arc. I will need time to figure out the story in light of any possible character submissions (*fingers crossed*). I feel reasonably confident the title atop this page is the title I will use; if you are eager to see the next arc, you can check the site each week or subscribe to me as an author and get an email alert anytime I post a story. (That may sound like a shameless effort to increase popularity, but I suggest it as the easiest method of knowing my progress _AND _a shameless effort to increase my popularity. *wink*)**


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